US drug supplies have been disrupted by the coronavirus pandemic in China but there are no shortages as of yet, Health Secretary Alex Azar said on Wednesday
WASHINGTON (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 26th February, 2020) US drug supplies have been disrupted by the coronavirus pandemic in China but there are no shortages as of yet, Health Secretary Alex Azar said on Wednesday.
"In some cases, we are aware that either the entire product is made in China or there [are] critical active ingredients solely sourced within China," Alex told a Senate subcommittee hearing to discuss US preparedness and funding for the pandemic. "To date, we are not aware of any expected shortages. But we have to be very alert to this and we have to be candid that there could be disruptions in supplies. We have already experienced that, of course."
Azar's remarks came after the US food and Drug Administration said no American drug manufacturers have reported that they anticipate shortages of particular drugs due to the novel coronavirus, although the agency and experts in the pharmaceutical industry were paying close attention to the potential challenges the virus might pose.
Azar said to his understanding there were large providers of drug supplies in China's Hubei province, the epicenter of the pandemic in China, that US manufacturers relied on.
"We have aggressively and proactively reached out to manufacturers for that information. I'm told there are two manufacturers in Hubei province of pharmaceuticals, but unfortunately the manufacturer has a large stockpile supply of advanced production there," Azar said.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says there are 57 confirmed coronavirus cases in the United States and infections are expected to spread in the country.
