With a view to help the Indian exporters get better clarification on the drug regulatory issues from the overseas and Indian drug regulators, Pharmaceuticals Export Promotion Council of India (Pharmexcil) plans to allot special space for meetings for the same, during the iPHEX 2014 that is scheduled to be held in Mumbai from May 21 to 23.

While Indian generic drugs cater to all the countries across the globe, as much as 55 per cent of the US$ 14.5 billion exports are shipped to the highly regulated markets including US and EU countries. Through this initiative, the Council plans to bridge the gap between the exporters and the regulators so as to ensure easy flow of exports without any complications and miscommunication, especially in the highly regulated market.

This comes after stakeholders feedback on the need to have direct consultation with the regulators of the importing countries on their product registration procedures and other regulatory requirements. Industry insiders applauding this decision stressed that it will provide opportunities galore for the exporters to directly interact with the regulatory officials to address their issues firsthand, which otherwise would have been a complex issue in the light of bureaucratic red tape.

According Dr P V Appaji, director general (DG), Pharmexcil, “We have been working very hard to boost the exports of the pharma products and the brand India image across globe. In fact, we are happy to get all the support from the Indian drug regulators in proving that Indian drugs are of highest standard, manufactured after stringent quality checks and laws in force in the country. To further strengthen our initiative, the Maharashtra food and drug administration has also extended their full support during this event wherein, they will help the exporters and other foreign drug regulators in understanding the Indian drug regulatory system in a better way.”

Interestingly, regulatory officials from almost 25 countries have already expressed their intent to be part of this event which was launched last year by Pharmexcil in collaboration with the union ministry of commerce and industry. According to Pharmexcil, over 500 delegates have already registered for the event till now, with more parties showing keen interest to participate, which will highlight the Brand Pharma India Campaign, by showcasing the prowess of Indian pharma industry to the world.