A new study revealing that the U.S. drug supply is heavily reliant on China for key pharmaceutical ingredients is sounding alarms in Washington and the pharmaceutical industry, Newsmax reported on Thursday.

Experts warn that this vulnerability could threaten public health and national security.

An analysis published in the U.S. Pharmacopeia's latest Drug Supply Map report indicates that the components used to make the building blocks for America's most critical medicines, known as Key Starting Materials (KSMs), are overwhelmingly sourced from a tiny number of countries.

Most concerningly, 41% of these essential materials are sourced exclusively from China, with another 16% coming solely from India.

"Fifty-eight percent of KSMs used in U.S.-approved drugs are single-sourced," the report concluded.

"Such concentration poses a significant risk of disruption in the event of geopolitical conflict, export restrictions, or natural disasters," the report noted.

KSMs are necessary to synthesize Active Pharmaceutical Ingredients (APIs), which are then used to make the final drug products.

Without these materials, the production of everything from antibiotics to heart medications could be halted.

According to USP, half of all U.S.-approved APIs rely on at least one KSM produced in a single country, with China monopolizing the supply for about 680 critical drugs.

India provides sole-source KSMs for another 400 APIs, while the U.S. produces only four KSMs on its own.

This means that if Chinese or Indian suppliers impose export restrictions, the medications millions of Americans depend on daily could be at risk.

The report highlighted amoxicillin, one of the most commonly prescribed antibiotics in the U.S., as a stark example of this vulnerability.

While amoxicillin appears to be produced worldwide, its synthesis ultimately relies almost entirely on four KSMs made in China.

The most critical of these, 6-aminopenicillanic acid or 6-APA, is also used to produce several other penicillin-based antibiotics, such as ampicillin, dicloxacillin, and piperacillin.

"Any disruption, such as factory closures or export restrictions, could rapidly impact global supply chains," the authors warned, adding that "diversified API manufacturing offers little protection when all rely on the same upstream sources."

The findings echo growing bipartisan concern in Washington over America's reliance on foreign adversaries for essential goods, ranging from semiconductors to medical equipment.

Lawmakers and national security experts have repeatedly pointed to China's potential to weaponize its pharmaceutical leverage in the event of a geopolitical crisis.

The COVID-19 pandemic already exposed the fragility of global supply chains, with shortages of basic medicines and medical supplies spreading worldwide.

However, the new data from USP suggests that the structural risks have only deepened since then.

"The concentration of KSM production in just two countries, China and India, represents a systemic vulnerability that could threaten access to life-saving medicines," said Gabriela Grasa Mannino, one of the study's lead authors.

To mitigate the risks, USP researchers are urging policymakers to take immediate action to diversify the pharmaceutical supply chain.

They recommend annual vulnerability assessments, increased transparency from manufacturers, and new incentives for domestic or "friend-shoring" production, meaning manufacturing in allied nations.

"Effectively strengthening the pharmaceutical supply chain begins with the ability to understand it," the report stated. "Federal policymakers must mandate regular, data-driven assessments to identify and mitigate risks before they reach patients."

USP also suggests the federal government modernize its procurement rules to prioritize supply reliability and resilience, not just cost.

The authors also call for funding research into alternative synthetic routes and advanced manufacturing techniques that could make domestic production more economically feasible.

Experts believe technologies like continuous flow manufacturing could enable U.S. producers to create KSMs and APIs more efficiently and affordably, reducing reliance on overseas suppliers.

"Bringing more production of essential medicines and ingredients back to the U.S. and its allies requires innovative chemistry and scalable manufacturing," the report stated. "Advanced synthetic approaches can enhance our rapid response capabilities and bolster national security."

USP's Drug Supply Map paints a stark picture of a global system that has prioritized efficiency over resilience for decades.

While globalization has lowered the cost of many medications, the U.S. has been left dangerously exposed to disruptions far beyond its borders.

"Globalization has increased access to quality medicines at lower costs, but supply chains have become longer, more complex, and fragmented, leading to a lack of visibility and an increased risk of vulnerabilities," the study concluded.

As a nation that spends over $600 billion annually on prescription drugs, the report is a stark reminder that America's medicine cabinet is currently heavily dependent on the goodwill of foreign powers, particularly China, Newsmax relayed.

By U.S. NNP=Hong Seong-gu, Chief Reporter / Special Contributor NNP info@newsandpost.com