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U.S. NEWS Saturday 29 February 2020
U.S. reports first drug

shortage tied to virus outbreak

By MATTHEW PERRONE and funded by drug distributors, the agency. The FDA said
LINDA A. JOHNSON government and founda- Thursday there are no re-
Associated Press tions that tracks the impact ported medical device
WASHINGTON (AP) — of epidemics and natural shortages related to the
Health officials reported disasters. coronavirus.
the first U.S. drug shortage For decades, the phar- However, the agency said
tied to the viral outbreak maceutical industry has several Chinese device
that is disrupting produc- shifted manufacturing to manufacturing facilities are
tion in China, but they de- China, India and other being "adversely affected"
clined to identify the man- countries to take advan- by the outbreak due to
ufacturer or the product. tage of cheaper labor and staffing problems, includ- This Aug. 2, 2018, file photo shows the U.S. Food and Drug
The Food and Drug Admin- materials. ing workers who have been Administration building behind FDA logos at a bus stop on the
istration said late Thursday Today, roughly 80 percent quarantined. agency's campus in Silver Spring, Md.
that the drug's maker re- of the ingredients used in The FDA said it is in touch Associated Press
cently contacted officials U.S. medicines are made with 63 device manufac-
about the shortage, which abroad, according to fed- turers with Chinese facilities shortages of those items in The agency noted this
it blamed on a manufac- eral figures. that produce "essential" the U.S. week that medical device
turing issue with the medi- India and other Asian na- medical devices. Under a 2012 law, drug- manufacturers are not
cine's key ingredient. tions rely on Chinese drug While noting increased makers are required to bound by that law and "are
Regulators stressed that ingredients to make fin- orders for masks, respira- notify the FDA of produc- not required to respond
alternative medicines are ished generic pills. tors, gloves and other pro- tion or sourcing issues that when the FDA requests in-
available to treat patients. China ranks second among tective gear, regulators could create medication formation about potential
The FDA previously said it countries that send drugs said there are no reported shortages. supply chain disruptions."q
had reached out to 180 and biotech medicines to
drug manufacturers and the U.S., according to the
asked them to check their FDA.
supply chain and report It is also the top exporter
any potential disruptions. of medical devices and
The agency also said it equipment to the U.S.
had identified 20 drugs The country is a major pro-
produced or sourced ex- ducer of antibiotics for the
clusively from China, but it U.S. market, as well ingre-
declined to name them. dients and medicines for
The FDA has good reason common chronic condi-
to not release the names tions such as heart disease,
of drugs facing potential said Louissaint.
shortages, said Rosemary The virus, which led to strict
Gibson, who wrote the travel restrictions in Chi-
book "China Rx" on that nese cities home to more
nation's role in American than 60 million people, has
health care. affected a range of indus-
"People might rush to buy tries.
it and that would create Some factories have tried
a worse situation," said to restart and run into prob-
Gibson, a senior adviser at lems getting the raw mate-
bioethics research group rials and components they
The Hastings Center. "In the need.
context of shortages glob- Chinese factories making
ally, you have to be very, pharmaceutical ingredi-
very careful." ents and drugs are still op-
More than 83,000 COVID-19 erating, with some trying
cases have been reported to produce far more than
worldwide, nearly 79,000 of usual and others still trying
them in mainland China. to get workers back, Louis-
Government officials there saint said Friday.
have severely restricted Cargo carriers are still trans-
travel and imposed strict porting those products
quarantine measures to from China to other coun-
try and stop the virus from tries, she said.
spreading. "It is challenging," but fortu-
Restrictions on movements nately Chinese ports have
of people and goods have remained open, Louissaint
been imposed by at least said.
90 countries, and that's She added that the FDA's
disrupting flow of drugs announcement of the
and raw materials, said Ni- shortage indicates the
colette Louissaint, execu- FDA's tracking efforts are
tive director of Healthcare working and drugmakers
Ready, a nonprofit group are communicating with