Posted by Michael Wonder on 16 Mar 2020
Shortcomings in the US pharmaceutical supply chain: potential risks associated with international manufacturing and trade-related tariffs
16 March 2020 - In 2016, an explosion at a factory of the Chinese industrial giant Qilu Pharmaceutical resulted in suspension of operations.
The factory was the sole global manufacturer of several active pharmaceutical ingredients (APIs) for piperacillin-tazobactam (Zosyn). APIs are the chemical building blocks used in making a diverse number of antimicrobial agents.
The explosion exacerbated an existing shortage of this vital antibiotic agent that is widely used in hospitals around the world. Since December 2014, manufacturing issues at 2 of 8 suppliers of piperacillin-tazobactam and regulatory issues at another manufacturer, combined with increasing demand for the drug, had produced unprecedented shortages in the US.
