Rockville, MD ( Dec. 4)—The U.S. Pharmacopeia (USP, www.usp.org) plans to open a 10,500-ft² site in Shanghai in February 2007. The facility, in Shanghai's  Zhangjiang Hi-Tech Park, will support collaborative testing, technical assistance, customer service, and training. John Hu, PhD, international vice-president, China currently oversees the site and projects and the hiring of approximately 15 people to work in the facility.

The USP-China facility is the latest of a series of USP activities in China.  In 2005, USP signed a Memoranda of Understanding with the Chinese Pharmacopoeia and the National Institute for the Control of Pharmaceutical and Biological Products.

The Shanghai office will be the organization's second international facility. USP-India Limited opened an office-and-laboratory complex in Hyderabad in February 2006. The organization also operates a European sales office in Basel, Switzerland.

 “USP’s site in China further demonstrates USP’s commitment to working globally to ensure good pharmaceutical care for all,” said USP executive vice-president and CEO Roger L. Williams, MD, in a prepared statement. “The facility will help strengthen our relationships with Chinese manufacturers and government agencies who are similarly dedicated to promoting the availability of good quality medicines.”