Indian Pharmaceutical Congress (IPC) is returning to Hyderabad after almost a decade. Besides taking stock of developments and suggesting a roadmap, it will focus on restoring the pharmaceutical industry’s image that took a beating after foreign regulators initiated action against a few firms.
Strengthening of regulations and their harmonisation with international standards are to be discussed at the three-day programme beginning at Hitex on January 23. The Indian Pharmaceutical Congress Association, a body of five pharma bodies, that is organising the Congress expects 6,000 participants, including regulators from 20 countries.
Indian pharma industry, IPCA president Venkat Jasti said on Wednesday, is at a critical stage because of the “malicious propaganda” against it and its regulators. There is misinformation about the quality of generics it supplied, he said, adding the Central government has embarked on an image-building exercise. Both the Centre and the industry will pool in resources to “counter the propaganda and dispel the allegations…”
‘India pharmacy of the world – role of Indian regulators and pharma industry’ will be the theme of the 66{+t}{+h}IPC. Hyderabad, a hub for the industry, played host to the Congress last time in December 2005.
Telangana Chief Minister K. Chandrasekhar Rao is scheduled to inaugurate the Congress, said Ravi Uday Bhaskar, chairman, organising committee and secretary general, All India Drug Control Officers’ Confederation. The Congress, he said, is an attempt to tell the world that regulations wise India is no less.
Deputy Drugs Controller in the Central Drugs Standard Control Organisation P.B.N. Prasad said it may not figure in the list of Stringent Regulatory Authorities globally, but that means that the national regulatory authority is weak. On the findings of European regulators about clinical trials conducted by GVK Biosciences, he said though preliminary investigation shows “it has got nothing to do with safety issues”, the Centre is likely to constitute an expert committee of clinicians to conduct a detail investigation.
Mr. Prasad said opening of a sub-zone office in Vishakhapatnam, for both enforcement as well as import export clearance, is under consideration. The zonal office is functioning out of Hyderabad.
Indian pharma industry is at a critical stage due to “malicious propaganda” against it. Both the Centre and the industry will pool in resources to counter the propaganda
– Venkat Jasti
IPCA president
