India to double drug inspectors to boost oversight

 India will spend 30 billion rupees ($511 million) and double the number of drug inspectors in the next three years to meet global manufacturing standards, the country's health regulator said on Wednesday.
A rash of import bans imposed by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration on leading Indian generic drugmakers due to lapses in production processes over the past year has triggered concerns about the quality of drugs sold in other markets, including in India.
The government will increase the number of inspectors at the Central Drugs Standard Control Organization (CDSCO) to 1,000 from 500 now, Drugs Controller General of India G.N. Singh said in a statement on Wednesday.
The number of officials at state regulatory departments will be raised to 3,000 from 800 now, he said.
"India's reference system (for drug testing and intellectual property) will be at par with the top world standards in two to three years and will even match the U.S. in three to five years," Singh said.
In India, states regulate the manufacture and distribution of drugs, while CDSCO, which is the federal authority, handles approvals of new drugs and clinical trials, oversees drug imports and coordinates the activities of state regulators.
A chronic shortage of inspectors has made it difficult for regulators to monitor the more than 10,000 drug manufacturing factories in India, which supply to more than 200 countries.
Multiple state drug regulators told Reuters in April that skeletal staff and lack of enough drug testing laboratories had rendered their departments unequipped to carry out their duties.
($1 = 58.7600 Indian Rupees)

(Reporting by Zeba Siddiqui in Mumbai; Editing by Prateek Chatterjee)

Opening for Team Lead - Pharmacovigilance in Global Safety at Novo Nordisk

Are you life science graduate and ready to kick-start your career? Join Pharmacovigilance at Novo Nordisk A/S and get a life changing career!
About the department
Pharmacovigilance in the area within Global safety and responsible for processing ICSRs. Global safety has an outstanding track-record in case processing. You will join a team of highly motivated employees, responsible for the safety of the patients.
The job
You will become a member of the safety team which is responsible for processing of ICSRs. You will especially focus on defining and integrating user/stakeholder requirements and safety risk management. You will be given a number of different responsibilities and experience a variety of tasks, working with both internal and external stakeholders. The job will enhance your professional and personal development, providing you with an opportunity to develop skills within specialist expertise and project management.
To contribute to the collection, medical evaluation and reporting (to the authorities) concerning adverse events/technical complaints from clinical use of Novo Nordisk’s preparations and products whether the product is in clinical development or Primary driver of process optimisation of the operational case handling
Contribute to the build-up of a strong team, which can work professionally in the operational handling of adverse events in close collaboration with affiliates and other partners.
Maintain a network of safety contacts within safety operations and affiliates.
Conduct performance management, individual development plans, job descriptions and performance evaluation.
Ensure continuous development of employees, training/coaching in pharmacovigilance and in departmental functions as well as provision of knowledge about NN business.
To negotiate processes for collaboration with Contract Research Organisations regarding SAE reporting and establish excellent working relationships with these.
To participate in the development and maintenance of departmental and functional procedures which have to ensure the observance of internal and external requirements for the management of safety information
To supervise the daily activity of the team, including vacation, planning and other activities.
Monitor and ensure that KPIs for evaluation and reporting of adverse events are maintained.
To have extensive knowledge of Novo Nordisk safety database (Argus).
Close co-operation with other groups in Global Safety. Liaise with the Safety Reporting and IT in all aspects of E2B reporting; database and application management; data retrieval; custom reporting.
Measure and present internal and regulatory compliance.
Maintenance of MOMs related to case processing and QC feedbacks.
Responsible for providing inputs for updates of SOPs
Provide input to safety data exchange agreements and pharmacovigilance system description documents regarding the post marketing surveillance process.
Conduct safety trainings for new pharmacovigilance staff and other company units.
Establish and maintain a thorough understanding of safety requirements of the project protocol, and safety reporting workflow, set up and maintain project materials such as project files, forms, templates, databases and workflow.
Establish and maintain effective project communications by representing department at interdepartmental project team meetings to understand and adhere to specific safety reporting requirement.
The tasks demand self-dependence and competence in making decisions, as well as flexibility, a good comprehensive view and a many-functioned, often international, co-operation.
Qualifications
Bachelor/Master in life science (Health care professional)
Working knowledge of MS Windows applications including MS Office tools, good written an spoken English, extensive knowledge of medicinal terminology and clinical pharmacology. Knowledge of basic and advanced GCP (Good Clinical Practice) & GMP (Good Manufacturing Practice) Self-motivated and proactive, Quick learning and analytical skills, ability to motivate and engage individuals, ability to take up initiatives.

At Novo Nordisk, we use our skills, dedication and ambition to help people with diabetes. We offer the chance to be part of a truly global work place, where passion and engagement are met with opportunities for professional and personal development.
Contact
For further information, please contact Aparna +91 80 33549289
Deadline
31 October 2014