How Important Is It To Bring Pharmaceutical Manufacturing Of American Drugs Back To America? Is This A Practical Issue Or A Political Issue?

IT’S IMPORTANT TO HAVE AN HEIR AND A SPARE. Diversity in one’s supply line is important for sustained success. There is no denying that this is a practical issue. Unfortunately, today, it is also a political one. Too little attention is paid to the elements that can shut down a brand: quality, regulatory issues, safety, and supply. Years ago, I managed a blockbuster that was essential for patient well-being across multiple therapeutic states. Additionally, achieving the company’s annual sales targets depended on the product’s continued clinical and commercial success. As important as the product was, no real thought was given to supply risk. In our case, we had one source of drug product — sitting directly over a major, active fault line. If you want to sleep well, make sure your supply is MAD: multiple, accessible, and dependable.

RICH DALY is COO at BeyondSpring Pharmaceuticals. Over the last 25 years, the company has had commercial success in 10 therapeutic categories.