While the three founder IPEC regions, Americas, Europe and Japan, have worked together for many years under the TriPEC banner, the founding of IPEC China last year provided an ideal opportunity to set up a truly global trade body.
Speaking about the rationale for the proposed body Patricia Rafidison, chair of IPEC Europe, told in-PharmaTechnologist that: “For IPEC, it has become more important to speak as one voice.”
She explained that: “New territories are playing key role in raw materials supply, having these new geographies on board, under the umbrella of the Federation, will allow us to address more efficiently supply chain questions, regulation harmonisation.”
Rafidison added that a global Federation will have a “greater influence on implementing good practices to better address supply chains issues and thus protect the patient.”
These thoughts were echoed by IPEC Americas chair Janeen Skutnik who said “the formation of a Federation is an important step forward in the evolution of the IPEC organisation.”
Skutnik went on to say that: “Challenges such as ensuring the integrity of the pharmaceutical excipient supply chain requires a unified, global approach,” and added that the guidelines created by the council have been developed with the expectation that they would be used and implemented on a global basis.
In addition, Keniji Kijima, secretary general of JPEC and IPEC China chair Nevin Cheng said that the new body will improve the quality of pharmaceutical excipients in the global supply chain.
The Federation is due to be launched at the next IPEC summit in Yokohama, Japan in June.