East Asia

USP has worked diligently to cultivate strong, productive relationships with East Asian governments, industry, and other stakeholders to help strengthen the global supply chains of medicine and foods and protect the consumers they serve. To facilitate these collaborative efforts, in 2007, USP opened its USP–China facility in Shanghai. Learn more about this full-service laboratory and office site and the services it offers.

Collaborations

Memoranda of Understanding (MOUs)

• April 2012: Strengthening a Mutual Dedication to Quality Medicines in South Korea, U.S.
• June 2010: USP and the National Institute of Nutrition and Food Safety (NINFS) signed an MOU detailing potential areas of collaboration, including scientific staff exchange, translation of FCC standards, development and validation of analytical procedures and reference standards, joint training/conference efforts, and more.
• 2009: USP signed an MOU with nine of ten countries participating in the ASEAN Reference Standards Working Group (ARSWG): Cambodia, Laos, Myanmar, Singapore, Vietnam, Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines and Thailand with a focus on measurement standards for medicines. USP has developed CRM protocols for the ASEAN RS working group.
• June 2009: USP signed an MOU with the Vietnamese Pharmacopoeia Commission focused on collaborative activities such as standards development; reference standard testing; scientist exchange programs, joint meetings, and projects to improve drug quality.
• June 2009: USP signed MOUs with the Guangzhou Municipal Institute of Drug Control, Beijing Municipal Institute of Drug Control and the Zhejiang Institute for Food and Drug Control.
• March 2009: USP and the National Institute for the Control of Pharmaceutical & Biological Products (now the National Institute of Food and Drug Control) signed an MOU to strengthen the quality of medicines in China and countries to which China exports, including the United States.
• March 2008: USP and the Chinese Pharmacopoeia Commission (ChP) signed an MOU to jointly develop standards for active pharmaceutical ingredients identified by the U.S. FDA and China State Food and Drug Administration (SFDA).
• 2006: USP signed an MOU with the Singapore Health Sciences Authority.

Other Government & Association Activities

• On April 21, 2011, in an unprecedented step, leaders of the USP and ChP exchanged appointments to serve as Special Councilors on International Affairs to each other’s organization.
• In 2011, USP began working with the Pharmaceutical and Medical Device Regulatory Science Society of Japan (PMRJ) as a collaborating laboratory in the development of their first CRM. PMRJ distributes USP–NF and USP reference standards in the Japanese market.
• In September 2010, USP signed a Letter of Agreement with Shandong Provincial Drug Institute that is intended to provide USP with a new channel for receiving monographs.
• USP continues its collaboration with Japan through the Pharmacopeial Discussion Group which focuses on harmonization.
• In 2009, Australia writes USP–NF into law.
• USP’s USAID-funded Promoting the Quality of Medicines (PQM) program has been instrumental in helping raise awareness of substandard medicines and improve technical capabilities of drug control laboratories in East Asian communities. Learn more.

Visiting Delegations

• USP has hosted visiting delegations from government agencies and manufacturers from China, South Korea, Japan, Vietnam, and Thailand to share information about promoting the quality of medicines, foods, and dietary supplements.
• USP's Visiting Scientist Program has hosted scientists at its headquarters from China, Vietnam, South Korea, and the Philippines.
• December 2011: USP held the 5th Joint ChP USP executive training workshop at USP headquarters. ChP deputy secretary general along with 20 senior officials from provincial and municipal institutes of drug control participated. Training partners included U.S. government agencies, industry associations, multinational pharmaceutical companies, and non-profit organizations.

Translations

• On May 18, 2009, USP signed an agreement with the ChP to translate the USP–NF into simplified Chinese language.
• On December 10, 2010, USP agreement with NINFS to translate the FCC into Chinese.

Events

• USP partnered in the Food, Drug & Law Institute’s first conference in June 2011 in Beijing, China.
• The first ASEAN–USP Science & Standards Symposium was held in April  2011 in Bangkok.
• A USP–NINFS joint symposium was held in April 2011 in Beijing to discuss food standards.
• In December 2010, USP participated in the 26th ASEAN Working Group on Pharmaceuticals Development.
• Per MOUs, USP hosts joint Science & Standards Symposia annually in China, partnering with Chinese government agencies.
  • The fifth ChP–USP joint international symposium held in October 2011 in Hangzhou, was highly successful with more than 600 scientists and dignitaries in attendance.
  • Previous meetings were held in Beijing, Nanjing, and Tianjin.
• China's NICPBP (now NIFDC) and the Japanese Pharmacopoeia participated in USP's 10th International Symposium on Pharmaceutical Reference Standards
• USP has hosted numerous Pharmacopeial Education courses throughout the region, including China, Laos, Singapore, Thailand, and Vietnam. View current online and classroom offerings.

Convention & Volunteer Representation

These East Asia countries have members and/or observers to the U.S. Pharmacopeial Convention, and/or citizens who serve as USP Expert Volunteers. Several dozens of East Asian expert volunteers serve on USP standards-setting committees. [KEY: M–Members, O–Observers, EV–Expert Volunteers]