America Is Heavily Reliant on China for Raw Materials in Medicines

A new analysis found that nearly 700 drugs approved for use in the United States depend on chemicals solely produced in China.

The analysis found that China was the sole supplier of at least one chemical in widely used antibiotics, like amoxicillin, and generic drugs for heart problems, seizures, cancer and H.I.V.

for example, amoxicillin, the widely used antibiotic that is sold by many different generic manufacturers. Factories in different parts of the world, including India, Jordan and Canada, handle the later stages of producing it. But two of the raw materials used to make amoxicillin are produced entirely in China, the analysis found.