Chairman Rick Scott and Ranking Member Kirsten Gillibrand of the U.S. Senate Special Committee on Aging will hold a hearing on November 19 to address domestic production of essential generic medicines. The session, titled “Made in America: Restoring Trust in Our Essential Medicines,” aims to highlight American companies that manufacture these drugs within the United States.
The committee plans to discuss how domestic manufacturing supports drug safety, job creation, and national security. Members and witnesses will also review obstacles such as regulatory challenges, foreign price manipulation, and issues with supply chain transparency. The hearing is part of ongoing efforts by the committee to reduce reliance on foreign sources—particularly China—and encourage innovation and competition among U.S. manufacturers.
According to the announcement, this initiative follows earlier actions by the committee’s leadership, including outreach to major pharmacies, federal agencies, pharmaceutical distributors, and group purchasing organizations. An investigative report was also released highlighting concerns about dependence on foreign-made generics. Two prior hearings held in September and October focused on threats posed by foreign reliance and potential strategies for strengthening domestic manufacturing.
Witnesses scheduled for Wednesday’s hearing include Tom Neely (Oxford Pharmaceuticals), Allan Coukell (CivicaRx), Patrick Cashman (USAntibiotics), and Dr. Eric Edwards (PHLOW-USA).
The hearing will take place at 3:45 PM ET in the Senate Hart Office Building (SH-216) with a live broadcast available online.
“This hearing will spotlight U.S. companies that are successfully producing essential, generic medications domestically, highlighting the role of American manufacturing in ensuring drug safety, creating jobs, and protecting national security,” according to the committee announcement.
“Committee members and witnesses will examine barriers to onshoring, including regulatory hurdles, foreign price manipulation, and supply chain transparency issues.”
“The committee has also held two recent hearings…to examine the potential threats from foreign dependence and explore solutions to boost domestic manufacturing and ensure Americans’ access to safe, high-quality medicines.”
