Symogen and Cognizant Life Sciences are organising an international conference on the topic, first of its kind in the country, from November 2 to 5 in Mumbai to impart information on the good pharmacovigilance practices around the world.

"Though pharmacovigilance guidelines are very strict in the developed countries, the Indian companies are yet to take it seriously as there is no compulsion from the authorities,'' Symogen country head V K Matta told Pharmabiz.

It was pointed out that the Indian generic companies who are marketing their products in the developed countries abide by the latest norms as it is mandatory. Multinational companies are also not serious about pharmacovigilance in India, despite having the latest technologies and advanced cells for the purpose in the developed countries.

A day-long workshop on November 2 and the ensuing three-day conference, guided by international experts, would help the companies to understand and apply the process of pharmacovigilance, signal detection and risk management in the country.

The conference would also help the delegates to identify and apply best practices of pharmacovigilance for company process and procedures to help ensure regulatory compliance and enhance quality in both post marketing pharmacovigilance and clinical safety. It would also discuss the latest regulatory frameworks for pharmacovigilance in the US, Europe, Japan, Asia-Pacific region.

Delegates from pharma companies, CROs, BPOs, KPOs, regulatory agencies, academic institutions and quality auditors are expected to attend the conference. A number of leading experts in the field from around the world have confirmed participation as speakers at the conference, the organisers said.