FDA opens shop in Mexico

The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has continued to expand its presence outside its national borders with the opening of an office in Mexico, its third in Latin America after Costa Rica and Chile.

The move is the latest in an FDA programme of expanding its reach into foreign markets, and particularly regions which serve as sources for products imported into the US market, in order to increase its capacity to oversee pharmaceutical supply chains.

The FDA opened its first overseas office in China in November 2008, and now has 10 around the world, including three locations in China, two in India, two in Europe, and three in Latin America.

The new post, based in Mexico City, "represents an important step as we re-design our product safety strategy," commented FDA Commissioner Margaret Hamburg.

Mexico is an important supplier of foodstuffs into the US market but also imports "a large amount" of medical devices and other healthcare products, according to the agency, which has been under pressure to increase inspections of facilities serving the US market.

Mexico is the largest pharmaceutical market in Central America, with 2009 sales estimated to reach around $9bn and expected to grow to nearly $15bn over the next five years, according to Business Monitor International. It is the second-largest pharmaceutical market in Latin America as a whole.

The aim will be to harmonise regulations and guidance standards and to work on other collaborative initiatives, such as information-sharing on the respective regulatory systems and joint workshops on the safety of food and medical products.

"FDA experts in Mexico City will work closely with local industries that ship food and medical products to the United States to improve their understanding of US safety and product quality expectations," said Murray Lumpkin, Deputy Commissioner for International Programs at the FDA.

"Their activities will include providing technical advice and working with government agencies and the private sector to develop certification programs," he added.