April 27, 2015

MEDIA CONTACT: KAREN TEBER (KM463@GEORGETOWN.EDU)

WASHINGTON (April 27, 2015) — Jesse Goodman, MD, MPH, a senior scholar at the O’Neill Institute for National and Global Health Law, has been elected president of the 2015–2020 United States Pharmacopeial Convention. Goodman, a professor of medicine at Georgetown University Medical Center and director of its Center on Medical Product Access, Safety and Stewardship (COMPASS), begins his five-year term in the voluntary position this month.

The U.S. Pharmacopeial Convention (USP) is a scientific nonprofit organization that sets standards for the identity, strength, quality, and purity of medicines, food ingredients, and dietary supplements manufactured, distributed and consumed worldwide, states the organization’s website. USP’s drug standards are enforceable in the United States by the Food and Drug Administration, and these standards are used in more than 140 countries.

“Making progress on complex problems — from drug and vaccine shortages to emergencies like Ebola — requires partnerships across private and public sectors and multiple disciplines,” said Goodman. “At USP, we have a tremendous opportunity to advance quality and improve pharmaceutical supply chains to help reduce shortages and unacceptable risks to health. I look forward to learning from and working with USP members and partners, including regulatory agencies, public health professionals, industry, academics and practitioners, to further advance USP’s impact, both in the U.S. and globally.”

“The talent and experience Dr. Goodman brings to USP will be critical in helping fulfill its mission,” said Ronald T. Piervincenzi, PhD, USP Chief Executive Officer. “As the pharmaceutical and health care landscapes continue on more globalized and complex paths, strong leadership and vision will be needed to guide USP through this time of change and growth for our organization. We are honored and privileged to have Dr. Goodman in this important leadership role at USP.”

Goodman joined Georgetown in 2014 as professor of medicine to lead COMPASS, a Georgetown center focused on informing science-based policy to address public health needs. A member of the Institute of Medicine, Goodman is trained in infectious diseases, hematology/oncology and public health. Until February 2014, he served as the U.S. Food and Drug Administration’s (FDA) Chief Scientist and, before that as director of its Center for Biologics Evaluation and Research. Prior to FDA, he was professor and chief of infectious diseases at the University of Minnesota. He has worked extensively on emerging infectious diseases, antimicrobial resistance and public health preparedness at FDA and across the US government.

A frequent advisor on global health, he helped develop the WHO Global Vaccine Action Plan and currently serves on WHO’s Ebola Vaccine Advisory Group.

Goodman is an active infectious diseases clinician at MedStar Georgetown University Hospital the Washington DC VA Medical Center and Walter Reed National Military Medical Center.

A Harvard graduate, he received his MD from Albert Einstein College of Medicine and postdoctoral training at the University of Pennsylvania and University of California, Los Angeles, where he was also chief resident.

About the O’Neill Institute
The O’Neill Institute for National and Global Health Law at Georgetown University was established in 2007 through the generous philanthropy of Linda and Timothy O’Neill to respond to the need for innovative solutions to the most pressing national and international health concerns. Housed at Georgetown University Law Center in Washington D.C., the O’Neill Institute reflects the importance of public and private law in health policy analysis. The O’Neill Institute draws upon the University’s considerable intellectual resources, including the School of Nursing & Health Studies, School of Medicine, McCourt School of Public Policy, and the Kennedy Institute of Ethics.