The Pharmacopoeial Discussion Group (PDG) held its annual meeting on 1 and 2 October 2024 in Strasbourg, France. The meeting marked the one-year anniversary of the PDG working with an expanded team of four members (see “PDG welcomes IPC as a member”). The PDG includes the European Pharmacopoeia (Ph. Eur.), the Indian Pharmacopoeia Commission (IPC), the Japanese Pharmacopoeia (JP) and the United States Pharmacopeia (USP). The World Health Organization (WHO) continues as an observer.

One of the primary outcomes of the meeting was the next steps for further expansion. On 30 August 2024, the PDG announced the launch of the next phase of its global expansion initiative, aimed at increasing convergence towards harmonised pharmacopoeial standards (see “PDG announces global membership initiative”). Pharmacopoeias interested in becoming members were encouraged to review the entry criteria, framework and reference information and were invited to submit their formal applications by 31 December 2024. The PDG will review the applications by summer 2025.

In addition to membership expansion, the PDG has been working on the follow-up on the maintenance work of the ICH Q4B annexes on pharmacopoeial harmonisation. The PDG defined the next steps following the significant achievement of the ICH Assembly’s approval of the revised Q4B guideline and the related ICH SOP Annex 5 at the June 2024 meeting in Fukuoka.

Find our more by reading the press release “Pharmacopoeial Discussion Group achievements”.

Next meeting

The next face-to-face PDG meeting will be hosted by the JP and is set for 30 September and 1 October 2025 in Tokyo, Japan.