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 discuss domestic production of essential, generic medicines. The hearing, 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 address challenges faced by domestic manufacturers, such as regulatory barriers, foreign price manipulation, and issues with supply chain transparency. Members and witnesses will consider ways to reduce reliance on countries like China for generic medications while encouraging innovation and competition at home.
According to the committee, this event builds upon previous efforts including letters sent to major U.S. pharmacies, FDA Commissioner Martin Makary, Department of Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy, Jr., pharmaceutical distributor executives, and group purchasing organizations. An investigative report has also been released detailing concerns about dependence on foreign-made generics. Two earlier hearings held in September and October focused on potential risks from foreign dependence and explored strategies for strengthening domestic manufacturing.
Witnesses scheduled for the hearing include Tom Neely (Oxford Pharmaceuticals), Allan Coukell (CivicaRx), Patrick Cashman (USAntibiotics), and Dr. Eric Edwards (PHLOW-USA). The session is set for 3:45 PM ET at the Senate Hart Office Building (SH-216) with a live broadcast available online.
