The United States Pharmacopeia (USP), the official public standards setting authority for drugs manufactured and sold in US has chosen India as its first site outside their Washington DC headquarters. The aim, they say, is to help Indian pharmaceutical industry develop better standards for allopathic and herbal drugs.

The United States Pharmacopeia-India Private Ltd, (USP-India), will be located in Hyderabad, India’s pharma capital and home to about 154 pharmaceutical companies. Dr. V. Srini Srinivasan, Vice President, International initiatives and verification programme at the US headquarters, who has been in India since July 2005 to set up the laboratory, said: “USP-India will provide USP’s broad range of pharmacoepial services to customers in India and surrounding countries”.

The site will include a state-of-the-art laboratory and involve experienced Indian scientists. The USP will work more closely with Indian and regional constituencies, including Indian manufacturers, said Dr Srinivasan.

US Pharmacopeia sets standards for all prescription and over-the-counter medicines, dietary supplements and other healthcare products manufactured and sold in the United States. Its standards are recognised and used in many other countries outside the US, including India, as all drugs and dietary supplements exported to the US have to comply with the standards.

So why India? According to Dr Srinivasan, India met all the requirements which the organisation was looking for. ‘‘We had an excellent relation with the Indian government and nobody can deny that India has the largest scientific manpower in the world. Besides, there is no language barrier,’’ he added.

( www.indianexpress.com)