FDA to open international offices

The Food and Drug Administration will have offices in China, India, Europe and Latin America before the end of this year, Health and Human Services Department Secretary Mike Leavitt said Thursday.

The first office is expected to open in Beijing, with two other Chinese offices to follow. FDA expects eight staffers will operate out of China.

"Through our 'Beyond our Borders' initiative, we won't have to send our experts to another country to work with foreign governments and regulated industry to improve our oversight --- we'll have staff living there and working on the ground 365 days a year," FDA Commissioner Andrew von Eschenbach said.

FDA has a formal agreement for offices with China, but von Eschenbach said others are close and those countries are welcoming.

In addition, FDA plans to open its second overseas office this year in India. The first Indian office will be in New Delhi, with another to follow in 2009. FDA expects 10 agency employees will work out of India.

Offices in Europe and Latin America will follow and FDA expects it will open a Middle Eastern post in mid-2009. FDA expects to spend $30 million to establish the offices and another $20 million annually to operate them, von Eschenbach said. FDA officials are working on agreements with Belize, Costa Rica, the Dominican Republic, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Mexico, Nicaragua and Panama to share information and conduct joint training.