Dr Prakash V Diwan, Scientist F and Head, Pharmacology Division, Indian Institute of Chemical Technology, Hyderabad, has been nominated as an expert member on the "Bioassay, Bio-statistics and Toxicology committee" of the Indian Pharmacopoeia Commission.

Prof P Rama Rao will be the chairman for this Expert Committee, which has been assigned to set guidelines and principles and also revise the appendix 2.1 of the IP 1996.

The committees under Indian Pharmacopoeia Commission are to focus on areas like clinical medicine and pharmacology, drug nomenclature, general policies and planning, general chapters and format, medicinal chemicals, parenteral products, devices and diagnostics, blood and blood products, biotechnology and recombinant DNA products, vaccines and other biologicals, herbal products and crude drugs, publication and information technology, bio assay, biostatics and toxicology, reference substances etc.

Dr G N Singh, director CIPL and member secretary- IPC, told Pharmabiz, the Scientific Committee of Indian Pharmacopoeia Commission (IPC), has recently finalised the formation of 20 expert subject committees to provide key inputs on specific areas of concern. Sub-committees would be created as per suitability under each subject committee. IPC is intending to hold a meeting on March 13, 2006 for planning future course of action, he informed.