2/3/2012 -- ELMWOOD PARK, N.J.--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- The Regulatory Harmonization Institute, Inc. (RHI) an international, not-for-profit association dedicated to global harmonization of drug and medical device regulatory requirements, and the Korea Health Industry Development Institute (KHIDI), the Korean government organization, announced to partner in support of the 2012 Columbus Project, a Korean government program to boost globalization of Korea's healthcare industry. KHIDI has enrolled 42 Korean manufacturers and developers of pharmaceuticals, medical devices and cosmetics in RHI consulting and strategy development programs designed to help international companies meet regulatory requirements and succeed in the U.S. market.

Kyung-Hwa Ko, president of KHIDI, states, "The purpose of this partnership with RHI is to build a network with an expert support group for diverse areas that Korean companies would need to achieve successful business into the U.S. market. Through consistent cooperation with RHI, Korean companies will be able to overcome the U.S. market barriers of regulatory, licensing, distribution and marketing issues. Ultimately, this program is about helping patients across the globe gain access to the innovative, high quality products available in Korea."

RHI works to educate industries about divergent regulatory practices, while soliciting feedback in order to create practices that are sound in terms of both regulatory requirements and business policy.

"It's a tremendous honor to support the Columbus Project and work directly with Korean manufacturers," says Dean Erhardt, president of RHI and principal at D2 Pharma Consulting. "RHI's member companies have been assembled with the express intent of supporting the research, approval and commercialization of pharmaceuticals, medical devices and biotech products both in the U.S. and across multiple international markets. RHI's breadth of services and the integrity of our members will provide high-level expertise and support to the Columbus Project, and also bring RHI closer to the life science, medical device and cosmetic industry in Korea."

About Regulatory Harmonization Institute:

Regulatory Harmonization Institute, Inc. (RHI) is a non-profit association dedicated to global harmonization of regulatory requirements with a mission to influence the development and introduction of meaningful therapies to patients across the globe. RHI will advance global harmonization of regulatory requirements for medicines and devices intended for human use, enabling greater delivery of meaningful new therapies to all patient populations. www.regharmonization.com.

About KHIDI

The Korea Health Industry Development Institute (KHIDI) is a government-funded institution established by the Republic of Korea. KHIDI's mission is to contribute to the improvement of the people's health and Korea's economic development. KHIDI promotes life sciences, including healthcare, medical, and biotech industries, as the core commerce of the 21st century's knowledge-based economy and Korea's core strategic industries. KHIDI opened its U.S. office in New York in 2008 to promote international growth of the Korean life sciences industry and to foster interaction and collaboration between U.S. and Korean pharmaceutical, biotech,medical device, functional foods, cosmetics and healthcare service industries. http://www.khidiusa.org/

Source: Regulatory Harmonization Institute, Inc.

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