NIPTE Members Urge Congress To Increase Funding For Pharmaceutical Science And Education

MINNEAPOLIS / ST. PAUL - Feb. 13, 2009 – Dean Marilyn Speedie and Research Assistant Professor Vadim Gurvich of the University of Minnesota College of Pharmacy, along with other members of the National Institute for Pharmaceutical Technology and Education (NIPTE), will meet with congressional leaders on Feb. 25 to stress how research and education programs can make U.S. pharmaceutical manufacturing more productive and efficient.

The current translation of innovative therapies to deliverable products relies substantially on outdated science and manufacturing methods that are failing to keep pace with the underlying progress in medical science and posing a risk to public health, says NIPTE, a national consortium including the University of Minnesota and 10 other pharmaceutical and technological institutions. NIPTE encourages investments in basic manufacturing research to increase the quality and cost effectiveness of the pharmaceutical manufacturing process as well as to incentivize manufacturers to keep manufacturing in the United States.

In a recent report, the Food and Drug Administration’s Science Board concluded that the Agency suffers from serious scientific deficiencies and is not positioned to meet current or emerging regulatory responsibilities. As a result, there is great urgency to stem the tide of continued deterioration in the science that supports the regulatory decisions of the FDA.

“These meetings will bring to light that we are currently lacking the fundamental science of development and manufacturing of pharmaceuticals,” said Prabir Basu, executive director of NIPTE. “We hope as a result of these meetings that the FDA will be able to fund more grants to allow for basic manufacturing science research that will be available to manufacturers, academics and regulators. Ultimately, these advances will lead to manufacturing savings and improved quality of pharmaceuticals.”

In October 2008, the FDA awarded NIPTE a $1.19 million research contract from the FDA to develop science for helping to implement Quality by Design, which focuses on developing, manufacturing and delivering pharmaceutical products more efficiently, more safely and at a lower cost to the consumer. The University of Minnesota College of Pharmacy has been a member of NIPTE since its founding in 2005.

Media Contact:
Amy Leslie, 612-624-7654, johns423@umn.edu

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The National Institute of Pharmaceutical Technology and Education (NIPTE) is an independent, non-profit organization representing 11 U.S. universities that are leaders in pharmaceutical science and engineering. The member universities are Duquesne University, Illinois Institute of Technology, Purdue University, Rutgers University, University of Puerto Rico, University of Connecticut, University of Iowa, University of Kansas, University of Kentucky, University of Maryland - Baltimore, and the University of Minnesota. 

The University of Minnesota College of Pharmacy, the only school of pharmacy in Minnesota, offers its program on the Twin Cities and Duluth campuses. Founded in 1892, the College of Pharmacy educates pharmacists and scientists and engages in research and practice to improve the health of the people of Minnesota and society. The college is part of the Academic Health Center, which is home to the University of Minnesota’s six health professional schools and colleges as well as several health-related centers and institutes. Learn more at www.pharmacy.umn.edu