Senator Rick Scott, who chairs the U.S. Senate Special Committee on Aging, led a hearing titled “Made in America: Restoring Trust in Our Essential Medicines” in Washington, D.C. The session focused on American companies that are successfully producing essential generic drugs domestically and highlighted the role of U.S.-based manufacturing in ensuring medication safety, creating jobs, and strengthening national security.
During the hearing, witnesses discussed ongoing challenges for American manufacturers as they attempt to rebuild the country’s pharmaceutical base. These include regulatory hurdles, aggressive foreign price manipulation, and supply chains heavily reliant on China. Committee members addressed these obstacles and outlined potential solutions, emphasizing innovation within the United States, establishing a level playing field for domestic producers, and accelerating efforts to reduce dependence on foreign-made generic drugs.
This hearing is part of ongoing bipartisan work by Chairman Scott to secure the drug supply in the United States. Initiatives led by Chairman Scott and Ranking Member Kirsten Gillibrand have included sending letters to 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. They also released an investigative report detailing America’s heavy reliance on foreign-manufactured generics.
Previous committee hearings held on September 17 and October 8 examined similar threats from foreign dependency and identified ways to expand domestic manufacturing to ensure Americans have access to safe and high-quality medicines.
“The hearing showcased how American manufacturers continue facing significant barriers when trying to rebuild our nation’s pharmaceutical foundation,” said Senator Scott during his remarks at the session.
