What complicates the picture is that the South Asian nation, the world’s top supplier of generic medicines, itself relies heavily on China for key starting materials, which is not reflected in the FDA filings.
What’s more, the nonprofit identified a key trend: that half of the active ingredients used in the US came from just one source. China is the exclusive supplier of at least one chemical used in nearly 700 crucial medicines.
For example, at first blush, the antibiotic amoxicillin, used to treat everything from bronchitis to urinary tract infections, appears to have a diverse array of sources from Spain to Singapore. But its four key inputs come almost entirely from China.
A CHALLENGING AREA TO DECOUPLE
As shortages of medical supplies during the pandemic demonstrated, it’s a bad idea for countries to be so dependent on any single source, much less, in the case of America, a rival. It’s worth noting that not once during the height of the trade war escalation did Beijing threaten to withhold medical exports.
But geopolitics isn’t the only risk factor. Another global virus outbreak could also shut down the supply chain.
Leland Miller, a member of the US security review commission, told me that Beijing controls a “scary chunk” of active drug ingredients. Although the group doesn’t have the authority to give orders to Congress, the ultimate goal would be to create a supply chain involving India and other allies that will be independent of China in specific areas, he said.
Source: CNA
