Regulatory Affairs Professionals Society Opens Two Asia Offices

The Regulatory Affairs Professionals Society (RAPS) has opened two new offices in Asia: one in Singapore and one in Shanghai, China. The office in Singapore will serve as RAPS pan-Asia office, serving the Asia-Pacific region, and the Shanghai office will be more focused on China members. RAPS is a non-lobbying, non-profit organization that offers education and training, professional standards, publications, research, knowledge sharing, networking, career development opportunities and the Regulatory Affairs Certification (RAC), the only post-academic professional credential to recognize regulatory excellence, to those involved with the regulation of healthcare and related products.

RAPS also recently entered into a partnership with five Singapore government agencies to develop and implement a new medical device regulatory affairs training program in Singapore.

“RAPS’ presence in Asia has been expanding through several partnerships we have forged with regulators, agencies, companies and individual professionals throughout the region,” said Sherry Keramidas, Ph.D., FASAE, CAE, executive director of RAPS. “These two offices will allow us to support further development of our professional relationships and better position RAPS to respond to the needs of the regulatory community in Asia.”

As the region’s life-sciences industry has grown, so too has the need for regulatory expertise.

“It is indeed timely for the Regulatory Affairs Professionals Society to extend its outreach to Asia, and in particular to Singapore and China,” said Christina Lim, senior director of the Singapore Health Sciences Authority’s Health Sciences Authority Academy. “Asia is one of the fastest growing regions for healthcare providers today, and RAPS’ presence and support will be a great encouragement to healthcare professionals to increase their knowledge and expertise.”

“The rapid growth of the Chinese healthcare market is challenging the development of regulatory affairs and supervision,” said Yan Liang, senior advisor of international and legal affairs, Shanghai Municipal Food and Drug Administration Research Center. “RAPS’ international experience in offering continuing education to regulatory affairs professionals brings great value to China. Furthermore, RAPS’ active presence in China will advance senior regulatory professionals through global networking.”

RAPS is headquartered in Rockville, Md. The organization was founded in 1976 and played a key part in establishing the healthcare regulatory profession in the United States.