The Centre for Research on Indian System of Medicine (CRISM) is organizing an 'Indo-US Symposium on Ayurvedic, Siddha & Unani (ASU) Drugs: Development and Marketing' from Dec 2 to 4 in New Delhi. Several Indian and international institutions of repute are collaborating with the event.

The symposium will focus on current procedure for ASU and natural plant products – starting from sustainable supply of quality raw material to quality control, standardization and production of finished marketable products which will enjoy confidence of the customers with respect to quality, safety and therapeutic claims.

Eminent speakers and experts from Canada and USA representing US FDA and National Center for Natural Products Research, University of Mississippi, NIH, ABC, USP, and NCCAM are expected to participate in the three-day symposium. The event will be a good opportunity to the ASU and herbal exporters as it will help to understand the consumer demand and quality parameters for ASU products in global market and production methods with required standards.

Union Minister of state for chemicals Srikant Jena is expected to inaugurate the symposium and the keynote address will be delivered by professor R Kumar, JNCASR, IISc, Bangalore. Major speakers in the inaugural session are professor Larry Walker, research professor of pharmacology, the University of MS, USA , professor Ikhlas Khan, director FDA programme, the University of MS, USA, Dr G N Qazi, vice-chancellor, Jamia Hamdard, S Jalaja, secretary, department of Ayush and Ranjit Puranik, president Ayurvedic Drug Manufacturers Association (ADMA).