IPC recognised as WHO-SEARN Regional Centre of Excellence in Pharmacovigilance
Recognition comes during IPC's participation in the 10th Anniversary Meeting of the South-East Asia Regulatory Network in Nepal
The Indian Pharmacopoeia Commission (IPC), Ministry of Health & Family Welfare, Government of India, participated in the 10th Anniversary Meeting of the South-East Asia Regulatory Network (SEARN) held in Kathmandu, Nepal, on 4–5 August 2026.
The meeting brought together representatives of National Regulatory Authorities (NRAs), pharmacopoeias and international organisations from across the South-East Asia Region to mark a decade of regional collaboration and discuss measures to strengthen regulatory systems for ensuring the quality, safety and efficacy of medical products.
SEARN is a collaborative platform established by the World Health Organization (WHO) South-East Asia Regional Office (SEARO) to strengthen regulatory systems across Member States. Since its inception in 2016, the network has facilitated cooperation among National Regulatory Authorities through knowledge sharing, regulatory convergence, capacity building and reliance mechanisms. It operates through thematic working groups focusing on quality assurance, pharmacovigilance, clinical trials oversight, regulatory preparedness and medical device regulation to improve access to safe, effective and quality-assured medical products across the region.
The IPC delegation comprised Dr. V. Kalaiselvan, Secretary-cum-Scientific Director; Dr. Jai Prakash, Senior Principal Scientific Officer; Dr. Robin Kumar, Senior Principal Scientific Officer; and Mr. Arvind Kumar Sharma, Scientific Officer.
During the meeting, IPC highlighted India’s commitment to strengthening the drug regulatory system and promoting access to quality-assured medicines through internationally harmonised standards. The delegation presented IPC’s initiatives in the development and publication of the Indian Pharmacopoeia, the establishment of Indian Pharmacopoeia Reference Substances (IPRS) and Impurity Reference Standards (IMPRS), pharmacovigilance and materiovigilance activities under the Pharmacovigilance Programme of India (PvPI) and Materiovigilance Programme of India (MvPI), capacity-building programmes, and collaborative efforts with national and international stakeholders.
During the meeting, IPC was recognised as the WHO-SEARN Regional Centre of Excellence in Pharmacovigilance and the Technical Centre in Quality. According to IPC, the recognition acknowledges its contributions to strengthening pharmacovigilance systems, advancing pharmaceutical quality standards and supporting regulatory capacity building across the WHO South-East Asia Region. IPC stated that the designation reinforces its role in pharmacopoeial science and standards and supports collaboration, knowledge sharing and harmonisation among Member States.
The meeting also provided a platform for the exchange of scientific knowledge, regulatory experiences and discussions on pharmaceutical regulation, including quality assurance, safety, regulatory reliance, digital transformation and regional cooperation. IPC reaffirmed its commitment to supporting collaborative initiatives aimed at strengthening regulatory systems and improving public health outcomes across the South-East Asia Region.
According to IPC, its participation in the 10th Anniversary Meeting of SEARN, along with its designation as the Regional Centre of Excellence in Pharmacovigilance and Technical Centre in Quality, marks another step in India’s contribution to regional regulatory cooperation. The commission stated that it will continue supporting WHO-SEARN initiatives, regulatory systems and the availability of safe, effective and quality-assured medical products across the South-East Asia Region.