Arpah Abas, BPharm

Member of International Advisory Board, GaBI Journal

Certified in Pharmacy
Former Deputy Director/Former Head of Biotechnology Section, Centre of Product Registration, National Pharmaceutical Control Bureau, Ministry of Health, Malaysia

Ms Abas was awarded her Bachelor of Pharmacy degree from the Western Australian Institute Of Technology (now known as Curtin University), Perth, Australia.

Currently, Ms Abas was the Deputy Director/Head of Biotechnology Section, Centre of Product Registration, National Pharmaceutical Control Bureau (NPCB), Ministry of Health (MOH), Malaysia. She has been instrumental in setting up the Biotechnology Section and is mainly responsible of the management and planning of activities of the Biotechnology Section of NPCB, developing, establishing and implementing policies, guidance documents and guidelines for the regulation of biopharmaceuticals, evaluation of application dossier for biologicals, participate in technical advisory meetings with related government agencies, institutions, industries and technical meetings in harmonisation of regulatory requirements amongst ASEAN member countries and OIC (Organisation of Islamic Cooperation) Member States.

Previously, Ms Abas was an Assistant Director in the Centre for Product Registration at the National Regulatory Authority of Malaysia (1990–2001). Between 1981 and 1990, she was a Lecturer (Lectures on Pharmacology to Pharmacy Assistant Students) at the School of Pharmacy Assistants, MOH, Malaysia, a Production Pharmacist (manufacture of parenterals and galenicals), an Analytical Pharmacist (quality control work in the quality laboratory), and a Procurement Pharmacist (in-charge of supplies and procurement in the warehouse and procurement department) at the Government Medical Laboratory and Store, Petaling Jaya, Malaysia. In addition, she was a hospital pharmacist (in-charge of the Pharmacy Department and procurement of drugs and medical supplies) at the National Leprosy Centre, Sungai Buloh, Malaysia (1980–1981).

Her areas of interest include: evaluation of medicinal products and biologicals/ biopharmaceuticals and biosimilars; advanced therapy medicinal products; nanotechnology and advanced drug delivery system; and regulatory collaboration and harmonisation.

Ms Abas is member of different scientific committees in Malaysia such as National Stem Cell Committee; Vaccine Technical Committee for Government Approved Product Procurement List, MOH; Brain Gain Program, Ministry of Science and Innovation; and Drug Control Authority. She is a member of International Society for Cellular Therapy, Malaysian Paediatric Association, and Malaysian Pharmaceutical Society.