EDQM Announces Opening of Secondary Site in France

European Directorate for the Quality of Medicines (EDQM) opened a secondary site in Ars-Laquenexy, France, on Nov. 15, 2019 for the storage of contingency stocks of European Pharmacopoeia reference standards for distribution worldwide in case of major incidents at its main site in Strasbourg, France.

According to a company press release, the new site is part of EDQM’s goal to create a full backup stock of European Pharmacopoeia reference standards in order to combat a potential supply shortage, which would result in the blockage of certain medicines from European and non-European markets. In 2018, over 1.6 million vials of reference standards were produced to build up the stock for the new site.

The new site has 2770 m² of floor area with designated space for preparation of samples required for laboratory studies carried out during the development of monographs and the establishment of reference standards, according to the release. The space also has the storage capacity for 9.4 million vials and 378 pallets.

“The reference standards produced by the EDQM are fundamental to guarantee that all patients in Europe and beyond have uninterrupted access to the good-quality medicines they need,” said Snežana Samardžić-Marković, director general of democracy of the Council of Europe, in the press release.

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