MoU to be signed on drug regulations

During Prime Minister Manmohan Singh’s three-day Russia visit,drug controllers of the two nations will sign a memorandum of understanding under which they will share information about drug adverse effects and regulation frameworks. The partnership could go on to recognise each other’s drug approval processes.

India does not have too many such agreements,barring with a few European Union nations. It will,thus,be a significant step for the country as a key participant in the worldwide pharmacovigilance efforts. The agreement will mean Russia will now be a partner in India’s two-year-old pharmacovigilance programme,albeit a long distance one and at a very rudimentary scale to begin with. Officials say the move will help India’s pharma companies to create a climate of trust between the countries.