This week’s big story: New animated map reveals potential drug shortages

US Pharmacopeia (USP), an independent scientific organization, has created an animated map that indicates which drugs may be affected by shortages in the US in the near future.

The Medicine Supply Map aggregated more than 40 datasets and 250 million data points to calculate the risk of drug shortages, with the aim of serving as an “early warning system.”

The map highlighted how reliant the US is on Indian manufacturers of active pharmaceutical ingredients (API). There are currently 114 facilities producing more than 30 active US-approved API products in India, and 183 facilities manufacturing more than 10 US-approved API products.

Second to India is the European Union, which has 45 manufacturing sites producing more than 30 US-approved API products, followed by China.

By publishing this map USP aims to help the industry reduce disruptions and inform policy. Vimala Raghavendran, USP’s Pharmaceutical Supply Chain Center lead, commented: “As the US considers legislation to improve supply chain resiliency, insights from the Medicine Supply Map can provide increased visibility to help decision-making.”

Also in the news:

• Australia-based Swoop Aero, the UK’s Skyports and Germany’s BD Rowa partner to launch air-based venues that will receive medical and pharmaceutical products by drone delivery. Three new “vertiports” in London, Singapore and Los Angeles will service Europe and the Middle East, Asia Pacific and the Americas respectively.
• The European Federation of Pharmaceutical Industries and Associations (EFPIA) has started tracking pharma’s efforts to support Ukraine during the war.

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