Fry steps down as PDA president, Maitra named European director

10/01/2002

By Mark A. DeSorbo

BETHESDA, MD—PDA ANNOUNCED that after 11 years, Edmund M. Fry, president of the international association for pharmaceutical science and technology, has stepped down to embark upon a new career.

Chairman Floyd Benjamin says Fry joined the organization at a critical stage in its development and set a direction that has served PDA and the industry well.

"Under his guidance, the association has become a strong and respected voice regarding the science and technology of pharmaceutical manufacturing," he says, adding that Fry's most notable accomplishments are the "solid relationships built between PDA, the U.S. FDA and other regulatory bodies worldwide."

Fry joined PDA in 1991, and during his years at the helm, he facilitated moving its headquarters from Philadelphia to Bethesda; garnered a threefold increase in membership (from 3,500 to 10,500); expanded the PDA Short Course program by opening the PDA Training and Research Institute (PDA-TRI); published more than 20 technical reports, including the launch of the series on current practices in aseptic processing; cultivated significant growth in PDA chapters, both domestically and internationally; and supported the Product Quality Research Initiative (PQRI) from inception to present.

"Certainly, my years at PDA have been among the most rewarding of my career," Fry says. "I will miss my close working relationship with the PDA officers, board, members and staff, and will continue to be an active member of PDA in my new role."

Fry leaves PDA to join IVAX Corp. as vice president of compliance. Prior to joining PDA, he was director of the FDA's Division of Manufacturing and Product Quality, and was responsible for developing and implementing federal policy and requirements applicable to human drugs manufacturing and quality control. In 1989-1990, he led the FDA generic drugs investigations team that directed field efforts in uncovering and prosecuting fraud in the generic drug industry.

While a search for a new president is underway, Gautam Maitra of Basel, Switzerland, joined PDA as European director in September.

Maitra, a chemist, has worked almost his entire career within the pharmaceutical and over-the-counter (OTC) industries. He has held project management positions in Basel, first with Chemical Industry in Basel (CIBA), Geigy AG and most recently, with Novartis Pharma AG where he has served for the past six years.

Maitra has lived and worked in three European countries: Finland, Sweden and Switzerland, and is fluent in three languages: English, German and French (with a working knowledge of Swedish). He will continue to be based in Basel.