AAM backs President Biden's Supply Chain Executive Order

The US Association for Accessible Medicines (AAM) says it strongly supports President Joe Biden’s America’s Supply Chains Executive Order as an important step toward strengthening the US pharmaceutical supply chain and improving patient access to lower-cost generic and biosimilar medicines.

The Order is focused on semiconductors, key minerals and materials, active pharmaceutical ingredients and advanced batteries. As far as pharma is concerned, it requires the Secretary of Health and Human Services, in consultation with the heads of appropriate agencies, to submit a report identifying risks in the supply chain for pharmaceuticals and active pharmaceutical ingredients and policy recommendations to address these risks, within 100 days.

According to the AAM, the Executive Order is a prudent, considered approach to fully understanding the scope and capacity of current US pharmaceutical manufacturing, while identifying specific vulnerabilities that can be targeted for resolution both immediately with the COVID-19 pandemic and longer-term as the country prepares for future public health challenges.