Security and safety, like beauty, are in the eye of the beholder, especially in the time of a politicized pandemic. “The U.S. drug supply chain is safe, and the supply chain is secure,” Judith McMeekin, associate commissioner for regulatory affairs at the FDA, testified before the Senate Finance Committee Tuesday.
Responding to COVID-19’s wakeup call as it exposes the risks of relying heavily on foreign biopharma supply chains, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) signed a four-year, $354 million agreement with a team of private industry partners, led by Phlow Corp., to expand U.S. manufacturing of essential medicines at risk of shortage during the pandemic and in future public health emergencies.