Pakistani Ministry of Health (MoH) officials participated in a week-long capacity building program at the Food and Drug Administration's Center for Drug Evaluation and Research (CDER) where they became familiar with the US approach to drug evaluation and registration. Following the CDER program, the MoH officials and Pakistan's Patent Controller examined the role of the US Patent and Trademark Office in pharmaceutical patent administration, the experience of generic and innovative pharmaceutical companies vis-à-vis, investment, IP protection and competition, and the contribution of private organizations to the development of pharmaceutical standards.