Rockville, Md., June 29, 2009 — As Viet Nam’s industrial capabilities have developed rapidly in recent decades, government officials have recognized the importance of helping to secure the nation’s supply of medicines. In an important milestone addressing this need, the Vietnamese Pharmacopoeia Commission (VPC) has signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) with the U.S. Pharmacopeial (USP) Convention. USP is a scientific nonprofit organization that sets standards for the identity and quality of prescription and over-the-counter drugs that are enforced by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration in the United States. USP also sets standards for the identity and quality of food ingredients and dietary supplements; these and USP’s drug standards are used in more than 130 countries.

At a signing ceremony at the Institute of Drug Quality Control in Ho Chi Minh City, Roger L. Williams, M.D., USP’s chief executive officer, said, “I am delighted to work with colleagues here in Viet Nam and elsewhere in Asia to help ensure the quality of medicines around the world.” Nguyen Van Tuu, Ph.D., chairman of the VPC, concurred: “Vietnamese regulators and manufacturers look forward to working closely with USP to reach our shared goal of good quality medications.” An industry leader who witnessed the ceremony commented that the Vietnamese pharmaceutical industry welcomes the collaboration between VPC and USP and is looking forward to the benefits of this collaboration.

The MOU is focused on building a collaborative working relationship through such activities as developing new and updated written standards; mutual testing of potential reference standards; scientist exchange programs, joint participation in planning and policy meetings, and identifying specific projects to improve drug quality that will benefit from the expertise of both parties. USP is based in the United States and has offices and laboratories in Shanghai, China; Hyderabad, India; São Paulo, Brazil; and an office in Basel, Switzerland. To further its mission to help ensure good quality medicines and food ingredients throughout the world, USP has formed similar partnerships with drug control authorities in these and many other countries.