India's DCGI, Pharmexcil to meet regularly to address problems of pharma exporters

The Drug Controller General of India (DCGI) has asked the Pharmaceuticals Export Promotion Council (Pharmexcil) to put forward any policy changes, if needed, to help pharmaceutical exporters, as both the sides decided to meet regularly to discuss and mitigate the problems faced by the exporting community, reports the Indian firm PharmaBiz.

A recent meeting of Pharmexcil representatives with the DCGI, while clearing many pending issues and clarifications, has decided to hold monthly meetings. A core group of the Pharmexcil will thus meet the DCGI to take up the issues of the exporters in general, sources told the news service.

While assuring all cooperation to the exporters including speedy clearance of No Objection Certificates (NoCs), the DCGI said more staff will be recruited to Central Drugs Standard Control Organization (CDSCO) to settle all applications in time. During the past year, the DCGI office received 38,466 applications from the industry and 13,493 letters from government offices. Though the US FDA Bhavan is heavily understaffed, all applications were cleared. The DCGI said that, within a year, 250 inspectors will be added to the CDSCO. Thus the department will have 19 DDCGI and 41 ADCs. This additional manpower will strengthen early disposal of applications and pending matters with CDSCO offices.