Thursday - Chemical & Engineering News - American Chemical ...

6 INFORMEX Show Daily | Thursday February 21 2013 | Anaheim Convention Center Anaheim California
SOCMA’s Management Services
Sees Growth, Key Advocacy
Results in 2012
Members of the Bulk Pharmaceuticals Task Force met in SOCMA’s Washington, D.C., office to discuss issues important to the pharmaceutical industry,
among them the Generic Drug User Fees, which the task force was successful in advocating and seeing it become law in 2012.
SOCMA’s Association Management Services (AMS), a group of affiliated
associations and consortia that address specific issues of interest to the
chemical industry, welcomed two new members and saw continued growth
among existing members and key results from their advocacy efforts that will lead to
a safer drug supply chain.
One of the most significant accomplishments of the year came from the AMS
affiliate, the Bulk Pharmaceuticals Task Force, which finalized negotiations with the
Food and Drug Administration on a bill including Generic Drug User Fees. The FDA
Safety and Innovation Act makes it possible for the federal government to speed
approval of lifesaving medicines, reduce drug shortages, and improve the quality
and availability of drugs in the U.S.
AMS also managed four different testing consortia in 2012 in response
to the Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) Toxic Substances Control Act
(TSCA) Section 4 test rules for High Production Volume (HPV) chemicals. “We are
anticipating another HPV test rule in 2013 with more chemicals to be tested,” said
Dr. Tucker Helmes, managing director of AMS. “This will allow us to set up new
testing consortia, which we enjoy managing.”
AMS kicked off 2012 by welcoming the Flexible Vinyl Alliance (FVA), which
promoted the wide-ranging uses for flexible vinyl, inclusive of automotive, roofing,
flooring, and medical applications. FVA was visible in efforts to educate and inform
policy makers at both the state and federal levels on the economic and utility of
vinyl—a $20 billion U.S. industry.
SCD-iBIO, a group aiming to advance the commercialization of industrial
biotechnology, was also launched in 2012. It gives member companies an
opportunity to share best practices, have access to educational opportunities,
and take part in networking functions, held its First International Forum:
Commercializing Global Green at the Chemical Heritage Foundation (CHF) in
November. Because of the success of the first event, a second forum will be held in
November 2013 at CHF.
The Bio-Process Systems Alliance saw increases in 2012 in both numbers
and influence, as the market for disposable bio-processing platforms utilizing
plastics-technologies continued to expand. BPSA saw growth not only in the
adoption of single-use technologies in the biotechnology sectors, but also in
the adoption of single-use in traditional bio-based drug manufacture, as more
pharmaceutical companies focus on “personalized” medicines that require more
flexible, economical, and discrete manufacturing platforms. BPSA has grown from
a membership base of 38 companies when it first aligned with SOCMA in 2009 to
nearly 50 corporate members as of 2012. Visit SOCMA at Booth 2357.