Drug groups sponsor import safety summit

The Biotechnology Industry Organization and the Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturers of America (PhRMA) are among 13 US trade associations sponsoring an inter-industry summit on import safety to be held on July 9, at the Grand Hyatt hotel in Washington, DC. In addition to business representatives, the federal Department of Health and Human Services is due to participate in what is being billed as the first forum of its kind.

Jim Greenwood, the BIO's president, said that biotechnology firms would work with the Food and Drug Administration, a unit of the DHHS, to "strengthen public-private partnerships to further improve import safety."

Billy Tauzin, the PhRMA's president, said: "America's pharmaceutical research companies continue to support an open and transparent dialog about the current Good Manufacturing Practices requirements and quality controls that must be met to help ensure the safety and integrity of their products."