A global organization to promote quality in pharmaceutical excipients - the IPEC Federation - was formally created last month at a meeting in Cannes, France.
The IPEC Federation represents the four existing regional International Pharmaceutical Excipient Councils (IPECs) - IPEC Americas, IPEC Europe, IPEC Japan and IPEC China - and will provide a unified voice to promote the best use of excipients in medicines as a means of improving patient treatment and safety.
Key objectives for the Federation will be harmonisation of standards, promoting supply chain security, and the further development of third-party certification, as well as providing a source of advice and expertise for other stakeholders on excipients.
Excipients play a critical role in the creation of medicines, helping to preserve the efficacy, safety, and stability of active pharmaceutical ingredients (APIs) and ensuring that they deliver their promised benefits to patients.
Optimal use of excipients can provide pharmaceutical manufacturers with cost-savings in drug development, enhanced functionality and help in drug formulations innovation.
Patricia Rafidison of IPEC Europe has been named as the Chair of the IPEC Federation, with Janeen Skutnik of IPEC Americas taking the role of Vice Chair. Atsushi Nakamura of IPEC Japan will serve as the IPEC Federation's Treasurer.
"The excipient industry has always been complex, with huge diversity among suppliers, and globalisation has added to that complexity," commented Rafidison. "For that reason it is more important than ever before that the industry can speak with one unified voice."
"The IPEC Federation is an important milestone in the development of globally harmonised excipient guidances," said Skutnik. "As governments, regulators and other healthcare stakeholders increase their scrutiny of excipients, the Federation provides an opportunity to increase global awareness and understanding of excipients, and provides solutions to address the complexity of the global supply chain."
The next meeting of the IPEC Federation will be held in Tallin (Estonia) in June 2010.
