Biden Administration Recommends Policy Changes to Secure U.S. Pharmaceutical Supply Chain

June 18, 2021

In last week’s BioUtah News and Events, we highlighted the Biden Administration’s formation of a task force to address a range of supply chain issues. This week, we share the findings of the administration’s 100-day assessment of critical supply chains, undertaken pursuant to President Biden’s February 2021 “America’s Supply Chains” executive order addressing supply chain vulnerabilities. 

An HHS press release states that “the report reveals the pharmaceutical supply chain as complex, global, and highly influenced by market factors that have led to an increasing reliance on foreign countries to manufacture the medicines, active pharmaceutical ingredients (APIs) and key starting materials (KSMs) that serve the American public.”

The 100-day assessment report identifies steps needed to boost domestic manufacturing of critical products and lessen dependence on foreign countries in initially four key sectors, including active pharmaceutical ingredients.

The executive order also calls for a one-year review of the domestic supply chains of six additional industries: defense, public health and biological preparedness, information and communications technology, energy, transportation, and agriculture and food production.