The Indian Pharmacopoeia Commission (IPC) is planning to take a high level delegation to France to meet with the representatives of European Pharmacopoeia Commission in April next year. During this meet, IPC is planning to push for  pharma industry's long standing demand of India to be recognised and given an 'observer status' at the European Commission.

Once India is granted with the observer status by the European Pharmacopoeia Commission it will enable more credibility to the drugs that are being manufactured in India and exported to European Union (EU). Most importantly it will enable India to participate and collaborate in the scientific work of the Commission for improving quality standards.

According to Dr G N Singh, secretary cum scientific director of IPC, “With a view to benefit the Indian pharma industry, especially the  exporters, we are very keen to develop our working relation with the European Pharmacopoeia Commission and will take pro active steps to further it by advocating the cause.”

He further added that having strong collaboration with them and obtaining an observer status will benefit the industry by gaining better credibility for 'made in India' drugs at the international market. “It will also provide us with a platform to engage in discussions that will encourage exchange of ideas with European counterparts so that both of us can mutually benefit from such a collaborations, to gain access to work on the quality control of medicines and the methods of analysis used,” Dr Singh informed.

The European Pharmacopoeia Commission which comes under the EDQM has this unique provision of observer status which enables the countries with this status to have the right to speak though they may not, however, make proposals unless these are put forward by one of the delegations referred. Moreover, the Commission may also, by a unanimous vote of the delegations casting a vote and a majority of the delegations entitled to sit on the Commission, admit to some of its sessions technically qualified observers.

This will be the first time that the members from the IPC will be visiting the European Pharmacopoeia Commission's office in France, though the later have been visiting India on and off. “There have been positive response from the European Pharmacopoeia Commission to develop strong relation with India thus, we want to take this opportunity and strengthen it for the benefits of our industry,” said Dr Singh.

As of now there are only about eight countries, including China who have been granted with the observer status from the European Pharmacopoeia Commission. If India obtains this status it will be a huge boost to the Indian pharma exporters who have a large market share in the European Union.