NSF International Expands Medical Device and Pharmaceutical Services Globally through NSF-DBA's Acquisition of Pink Associates, a UK-based Medical Device Training & Consulting Company

ANN ARBOR, Michigan and KIRKBYMOORSIDE, North Yorkshire, England, January 12, 2012 /PRNewswire/ --

- Acquisition complements NSF-DBA's excellence in providing pharma consulting, auditing and training and NSF International Strategic Registrations' ISO 13485 medical device registration and training services

NSF-DBA, an NSF International Health Sciences Company that provides training and consulting for the pharmaceutical industry, has acquired UK-based medical device training and consulting company Pink Associates, with Managing Director James Pink joining NSF-DBA as a partner.

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NSF-DBA (formerly David Begg Associates) provides training, consulting and auditing for the pharmaceutical and dietary supplement industries, including a comprehensive range of training and post-graduate courses offered in the U.S., Europe and South Africa.

Pink Associates is the recognized expert for consulting and training in the medical device industry. The company consults within the medical device product life cycle and includes: planning clinical trials, developing product and process validation strategies, conducting training and academic research and performing technical and quality management system audits to ensure manufacturers meet international medical device regulations.

The first offering to come as a result of the NSF-DBA acquisition is the new NSF-DBA Medical Device Diploma program, which provides medical device professionals with the knowledge, tools and techniques needed to manage the many aspects of worldwide medical device quality management and regulatory affairs. This new program complements the wide range of existing courses offered through NSF-DBA.

The acquisition of Pink Associates positions NSF-DBA, and its parent NSF International, as the preferred global training, auditing and consulting partner for medical device, pharmaceutical and dietary supplement companies, and enables NSF to offer a full range of services to the medical device industry.

NSF-DBA is part of NSF International's Health Sciences Division that also includes NSF's dietary supplement certification programs and NSF Pharmalytica, which offers GLP & GMP analytical testing (extractables and leachables), consulting and R&D services to the pharmaceutical industry.

Now, through this acquisition, NSF can offer these services to the expanding medical device market. Additionally, NSF International Strategic Registrations, Ltd. provides ISO 13485 medical device registration and training.

This is important as according to IBISWorld, an independent publisher of U.S. industry research, the medical device industry has a projected annual growth rate of 16.3 percent.

Companies working with NSF-DBA and other NSF International units can now benefit from a team of experienced medical device product development, validation, regulatory affairs, education and quality assurance experts across Europe, the United States and Asia. This includes an end-to-end range of services for the constantly growing medical device industry.

"Our clients continue to face complex technologies and regulatory frameworks with an increased focus on scientific validation and clinical evidence and therefore must rely on professional services to help guide and educate them," said James Pink, Founder of Pink Associates who now joins NSF-DBA as the partner overseeing the medical device sector. "Integrating our services with NSF-DBA will broaden our capabilities and position us as the experts able to help establish our clients' development and regulatory plans as well as address their product and process validation needs ultimately leading to the assurance to enter their global markets."

"This acquisition will make NSF-DBA for medical device companies what we already are for so many pharmaceutical and nutraceutical companies, the preferred partner for their consulting, auditing and training needs," said NSF-DBA Managing Partner Bob Pietrowski, Ph.D. "We are delighted to have acquired Pink Associates and James Pink as they have the knowledge, expertise, drive and vision to grow our offerings to medical device manufacturers worldwide."

For more information about NSF-DBA's new medical device offerings, visit http://www.nsf-dba.com or contact James Pink at jp@nsf-dba.com, +44(0)7721065177 (mobile), or +44(0)114-2541270 (office).

For more information about NSF International's broad range of health sciences services contact Tom Morse at HS@nsf.org or +1-734-214-6242 or visit NSF's Health Sciences webpage.

Editor's note: U.S. media seeking additional information, or to arrange interviews, should contact Greta Houlahan at houlahan@nsf.org or +1-734-913-5723. Media in the UK can contact Heather Taylor at htaylor@nsf.org or +32-2761-7407.

About NSF International: NSF International is an independent organization that writes standards and certifies products for food, water and consumer goods to minimize adverse health effects and protect the environment (nsf.org). Founded in 1944, NSF is committed to protecting human health and safety worldwide. NSF is a World Health Organization Collaborating Centre for Food and Water Safety and Indoor Environment.

NSF International's Health Sciences Division offers certification, training, consulting, GMP and GLP testing, R&D and auditing for the pharmaceutical, dietary supplement and medical device industries. The Health Sciences Division includes; NSF Pharmalytica, a GLP & GMP contract laboratory; NSF-DBA, which has more than 25 years of pharmaceutical, dietary supplement, and medical devices training expertise; NSF Reference Standards and NSF Dietary Supplements. NSF International developed the American National Standard for Dietary Supplements (NSF/ANSI 173) and tests and certifies supplements against this standard via the NSF Dietary Supplements Certification Program. NSF's Health Science Division operates globally throughout North America, Europe, Middle East, Africa, Asia and Latin America.

Additional NSF services include management systems registrations delivered through NSF International Strategic Registrations (NSF-ISR), food safety and quality programs through the NSF Food Safety Division, drinking water product certification through the NSF Water Division, sustainability services through NSF Sustainability, and NSF Education and Training programs.