Congressional China Committee Gives Needed Attention to China’s Control of the Global Drug Supply Chain

On March 18, the House Select Committee on the Chinese Communist Party held a hearing to address the threat the CCP poses to the security and resilience of the United States' pharmaceutical supply chain. The hearing, “From the Science Lab to the Medicine Cabinet: How China is Cornering the Market on Our Medicines,” comes as our domestic supply chain has become increasingly vulnerable to China’s global control.

In his opening statement, Committee Chairman John Moolenaar addressed the concerning fact that 83 of the top 100 generic drugs used by Americans have no domestic source of key ingredients. “This did not happen by market forces. It happened by China’s design,” he warned.

Patrick Cashman, president of USAntibiotics, which is the only remaining American manufacturer of amoxicillin, delivered testimony about America’s public health and national security vulnerabilities. 

“We have allowed this vulnerability to develop quietly over decades, while we focused only on cost and blinded ourselves to consequences for national security, the economy, and the health of the American people,” Chairman Moolenaar concluded. 

The hearing follows a similar hearing convened by the Senate Special Committee on Aging, where Cashman also testified. CUSP looks forward to continued congressional attention to leveling the playing field for U.S. manufacturers and strengthening our domestic supply chains in the face of growing CCP threats.