Singapore, September 7, 2007: The US Pharmacopeia (USP) will officially open its newest international site located in Zhangjiang Hi-Tech Park, Shanghai, on September 8, 2007. The USP-China facility supports USP’s international public health mission to ensure good pharmaceutical care and quality food ingredients for all.

 

USP promotes the public health by developing and disseminating quality standards and information for medicines, healthcare delivery, food ingredients and related products and practices. USP’s standards and information help patients and practitioners in more than 130 countries maintain and improve health.

 

To commemorate the opening of the site, a delegation of USP executives, including Dr Roger L Williams, Executive Vice President and CEO; Mr John Fowler, Chief Global Services Officer and Dr John Hu, International Vice President China, will join the State Food and Drug Administration (SFDA), Chinese Pharmacopoeia Commission (ChP), National Institute for the Control of Pharmaceutical and Biological Products (NICPBP), Shanghai municipal government, Shanghai Food and Drug Administration and Shanghai, Jiangsu and Zhejiang provincial drug control institutes, as well as representatives from Chinese Pharmaceutical Association, Chinese Medical Association, Chinese Non-Prescription Medicines Association, Chinese Association of Enterprises with Foreign Investment R&D-based Pharmaceutical Association Committee (RDPAC), Modernized Chinese Medicine International Association and U.S. Consulate General for a ribbon-cutting ceremony on September 8.

 

The new facility, which is approximately 10,500 square feet, has both state-of-the-art office and laboratory space, and is ideally located near many of USP’s key pharmaceutical clients. Dr Hu oversees the facility and has hired approximately 19 people to work in the facility.

 

“This new site demonstrates USP’s commitment to ensuring the quality and safety of pharmaceuticals, dietary supplements, and food ingredients for everyone, regardless of geographic, economic or political borders,” said Dr Williams. “As the world continues to focus on these issues, it is even more important for standards-setting bodies and governments to collaborate. This office and laboratory facility will help USP work with Chinese regulators and manufacturers to move towards that goal.”

 

“USP-China will work closely with SFDA, the Chinese Pharmacopoeia, NICPBP and other constituencies to help ensure the quality of medicines and food ingredients and better serve our customers,” said Dr Hu. “Our presence will benefit Chinese manufacturers, government agencies and ultimately patients in China, US and the many countries to which China exports.”

 

The USP-China facility will provide local manufacturers with better access to USP’s publications and reference standards as well as other related services. USP’s reference standards are used to help assure quality through testing to assess whether an article conforms to the published standards in the United States Pharmacopeia and the National Formulary.

 

USP-China will further expand USP’s capacity to reach those in the more than 130 countries around the world that rely upon USP standards. USP also operates facilities in Hyderabad, India and Basel, Switzerland, and has futher plans to open a site in Brazil.