FDA: India's role in medical product space represents unique opportunity

The role of India in the medical product field represents both a unique opportunity and an important responsibility, the head of the US Food and Drug Administration has said, ahead of the annual India-US BioPharma & Healthcare Summit.

The summit will take place in Boston later this week.

Dr Robert Califf, US FDA Commissioner will be one of the keynote speakers at the 18th edition of the annual largest gathering of pharma and healthcare sectors from the two countries, organised by USA India Chamber of Commerce.

During the day-long summit, Dr Califf will share insights from his significant visit to India last September, which holds paramount importance for both countries, USA India Chamber of Commerce said in a statement on Sunday.

Indian government's innovation-driven top leadership, coupled with India's substantial skilled manpower, positions the country as a trusted Partner of Choice for BioPharma research and development, clinical research, and manufacturing, said Karun Rishi president of USAIC.

With its ability to scale up manufacturing capacity while maintaining high-quality standards, India is primed to play a pivotal role in producing life-saving medicines for global consumption, addressing critical concerns regarding BioPharma supply chain and health security, he said.

Notable figures from the Indian pharma industry, including Dilip Shanghvi of Sun Pharma and Hari Bhartia of Jubilant Bhartia Group, will participate in the summit.

Dr Andrew Plump, president of R&D at Takeda, will be recognised with the prestigious "Distinguished Service Award" at the upcoming USAIC's 18th Annual Biopharma & Healthcare Summit.

This award celebrates Dr. Plump's remarkable vision and unwavering commitment to catalysing industry-academic partnerships, fostering interdisciplinary translational biomedical research and development, and pioneering innovative solutions for a healthier world, the media release said.

Dr. Noubar Afeyan, founder & CEO, of Flagship Pioneering said India is well-positioned to play a critical role in accelerating innovation within the life sciences globally, given its population size, proven track record in the large-scale manufacturing of drugs, growing work in clinical development, and its emergent capabilities in biotech research.

While India continues to play a crucial role in global pharma supply chains, becoming an R&D and innovation hub is the next frontier that we should aspire for, he added.