On November 19, the Senate Special Committee on Aging will hold a hearing to discuss the domestic production of essential generic medicines. The session, titled “Made in America: Restoring Trust in Our Essential Medicines,” is led by Committee Chairman Rick Scott and Ranking Member Kirsten Gillibrand.
The hearing aims to highlight American companies that are successfully manufacturing essential generic drugs within the United States. It will address how domestic production can enhance drug safety, create jobs, and protect national security. Committee members and witnesses plan to examine barriers to localizing pharmaceutical manufacturing, such as regulatory challenges, foreign price manipulation, and supply chain transparency issues.
According to the committee’s announcement, this hearing builds on previous efforts by its leaders to strengthen the U.S. medicine supply chain. These efforts include correspondence with major U.S. pharmacies, FDA Commissioner Martin Makary, Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., executives from pharmaceutical distributors and group purchasing organizations, as well as a research report detailing reliance on foreign-made generics. The committee has also held two recent hearings—on September 17 and October 8—to assess potential threats from foreign dependence and explore solutions for boosting domestic manufacturing while ensuring Americans have access to safe, high-quality medications.
Witnesses scheduled for the hearing include Tom Neely (Chairman of Oxford Pharmaceuticals), Allan Coukell (Chief Public Affairs Officer at CivicaRx), Patrick Cashman (President of USAntibiotics LLC), and Dr. Eric Edwards (CEO of PHLOW-USA).
The hearing is set for Wednesday, November 19 at 3:45 p.m. ET in room SH-216 of the Hart Senate Office Building.
“This hearing will highlight American companies that are successfully producing essential generic medicines domestically,” said Chairman Rick Scott.
Ranking Member Kirsten Gillibrand added: “We will examine barriers to localization—including regulatory hurdles, foreign price manipulation, and supply chain transparency issues.”
A live stream of the event will be available online.
