White House Wants To Shore Up Made-In-America Prescription Drug Pipeline
News reports on other Biden administration health initiatives focus on preparing for the next pandemic, asbestos disclosures and a high-profile staff departure.
Modern Healthcare:
Biden Administration Pushes Domestic Pharmaceutical Production
The Biden administration aims to boost U.S.-based production of pharmaceuticals and their ingredients, among other initiatives looking to shore up the supply chain, according to a new report. HHS, the Defense Department and other agencies should increase their funding related to producing active pharmaceutical ingredients in critical drugs, the White House recommended in its review of supply chain disruptions caused or exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic. HHS should also track production by facility and where API is sourced to improve transparency. (Kacik, 6/8)
Roll Call:
Biden Would Slash Pentagon Money For Pandemic Prevention
President Joe Biden has proposed cutting by nearly half the Pentagon’s budget for the leading U.S. government program for preventing, detecting and responding to global disease outbreaks, a move that even the White House’s staunchest allies on Capitol Hill oppose as the nation continues to grapple with the COVID-19 pandemic. The so-called Biological Threat Reduction Program finds and fights emerging global diseases that can threaten U.S. troops and, ultimately, the world’s population. In fact, the Pentagon program funded a lab in Thailand that detected in January 2020 the first case of novel coronavirus outside China. (Donnelly, 6/8)
San Francisco Chronicle:
EPA Agrees To Disclose Data On Products Containing Asbestos, Reversing Trump Protocol
The Biden administration, in response to a suit by California, other states and environmental advocates, has agreed to collect and disclose information from companies whose products contain the cancer-causing mineral asbestos. Asbestos is found in items ranging from brake linings to clothing fabrics. Since 2016, federal law has required the Environmental Protection Agency to obtain information from large-scale importers and producers of products containing potentially hazardous chemicals, including asbestos. The agency then is supposed to evaluate the risks and adopt rules that, based on its findings, could prohibit U.S. manufacture and distribution of the chemical and products that contain it. (Egelko, 6/8)
Also —
Axios:
White House COVID-19 Senior Adviser Announces Departure
Andy Slavitt, the White House senior adviser for coronavirus response, announced on Tuesday he is leaving his temporary role. Slavitt, who was appointed to the position in January and was expected to leave this month, urged Americans in his final press briefing to not "let our progress be a reason for taking our foot off the pedal." (Doherty, 6/8)
