Major Hub of Indian pharma manufacturing is back up and running !

With the spotlight on the global pharmaceutical supply chain, a lockdown at a major Indian manufacturing hub earlier this month caused waves of unrest. Now, weeks later, that hub is back up and running—but concerns about India’s control of the U.S. drug supply tap are still alive and well.

A manufacturing campus in Baddi, India—responsible for 35% to 40% of the nation’s pharmaceutical output—is back online after being locked down as part of a COVID-19 containment zone earlier this month, Business Standard reports.

Some of the world’s biggest generics and active pharmaceutical ingredient (API) providers have factories in Baddi that were shut down partially or in full as part of the lockdown, including Sun Pharma, Abbott Laboratories and Dr. Reddy’s.

To help keep the facilities running at full capacity, the Indian government has allowed a one-time movement of employees from Chandigarh state to Baddi to help staff the plants, according to Business Standard, as well as a resumption of intradistrict movement within Himachal Pradesh, where Baddi resides.

With the lockdown restrictions eased, tensions over the supply of U.S. generic drugs and APIs may relax at a time when the nation’s dependence on foreign pharmaceuticals has come under increased scrutiny.

Reference: FiercePharma