US builds emergency medicine stockpile

Washington, Sep 1 (AHN) The United States is adding 290 metric tonnes of critical pharmaceutical ingredients to a strategic reserve as the Trump administration seeks to protect medicine supplies during wars and other emergencies.

President Donald Trump said several pharma companies would jointly contribute the active pharmaceutical ingredients. The materials are used in medicines for seizures, bacterial infections, high blood pressure and organ failure.

“We have a strategic reserve that is amazing that a lot of people don’t know about, but they’ve just built it up, topping it out,” Trump said during an event at the White House.

“These materials are critical for life-saving medicines used to treat seizures, bacterial infections, high blood pressure and organ failure,” he said.

Trump said maintaining large quantities of the ingredients would help prevent shortages during a national crisis.

“And by stockpiling such materials in vast quantities, we can ensure Americans are never left without them in the event of an emergency,” he said. “So, we have an emergency, including wars and lots of other things; we are fully equipped to handle it.”

The reserve initiative was announced as the administration pressed pharmaceutical companies to shift more production to the United States.

Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick framed domestic medicine manufacturing as a national security requirement.

“The Commerce Department is involved because we want these companies to reshore, right? Because reshoring produces national security, right?” Lutnick said.

“We need our drugs made in America, and then that brings jobs and investment in America,” he added.

Heidi Overton, Trump’s nominee to become commissioner of the Food and Drug Administration, said the administration also wanted early-stage research and clinical trials moved to the United States.

“It’s a huge day for Americans, but it’s also a huge day for national security,” Overton said.

“We want every part of clinical research, clinical trials done here in America to both protect our national security and to make it more affordable,” she said.

Pharmaceutical supply chains frequently stretch across several countries, with active ingredients, other materials and finished medicines produced in different locations. Disruptions can arise from war, natural disasters, public health emergencies and transportation breakdowns.

India is a major global producer of generic medicines and pharmaceutical ingredients and is an important supplier to the United States. The concentration of some critical stages of medicine production overseas has also prompted Washington to seek more domestic capacity and emergency reserves.