Reliance on Foreign Drug Makers Won’t Wane With Virus, FDA Says

The coronavirus won’t be the last time the U.S. grapples with a pandemic, so it should shore up its domestic drug manufacturing capacity now, an FDA official told lawmakers Tuesday.

The U.S. is heavily reliant on drug manufacturing in India and China, making its supply chain vulnerable during global outbreaks. Drug companies could move more production back to the U.S. using advanced—albeit more expensive—manufacturing techniques that streamline production and minimize environmental impacts more than traditional production measures.

Congress needs to encourage companies to invest in the updated manufacturing processes in the U.S. before the next outbreak hits, Douglas Throckmorton, deputy ...