US OFFICIALS VISIT INDIAN GENERICS COMPANY

K. Anji Reddy, BSc, PhD; Michael Leavitt,secretary of US Department of Health and Human Services; Andrew von Eschenbach, MD, commissioner of the FDA

Michael Leavitt, secretary of the USDepartment of Health and HumanServices, visited Dr. Reddy's pharmaceuticalcampus near Hyderabad, India, aspart of a larger effort to reaffirm the qualityof products manufactured by suppliersexporting to the United States. One ofthe purposes of the visit was to help createcollaboration opportunities beyonddomestic borders and assure the qualityof drug products around the world.

Accompanied by Andrew vonEschenbach, MD, commissioner of theFDA, and David Hopper, US ConsulGeneral in Chennai, Leavitt visited Dr.Reddy's finished-dosage facility, one ofthe largest FDA-inspected finished-dosagemanufacturing facilities in Asia.Leavitt also stopped at Innovation Plaza,the company's integrated product developmentfacility, and was escorted by K.Anji Reddy, BSc, PhD, founder and chairmanof the company.

Speaking at a press conference held atInnovation Plaza, Leavitt stated, "We allrecognize that disease does not knowany borders, and solutions to those diseases,likewise, should not know anyborders." Dr. von Eschenbach spokeabout the need for drug-product qualityand safety, the transparency of the manufacturingprocess, and about how highquality and low costs are the 2 mostimportant components affecting theglobal pharmaceutical business.

"Our visit to India and to Dr. Reddy'swas undertaken specifically to open up adialogue that will help the drug businessensure quality at each level of its operation,"he said.