Three people die after using contaminated eyedrops… Eight lose vision and four have eyeballs surgically removed thanks to rare bacterial superbug in solution The drops had been sold at drug stores across the country… in 16 states, including… Pennsylvania.

Three people die after using contaminated eyedrops bought at Walmart, CVS and Target: Eight lose vision and four have eyeballs surgically removed thanks to rare bacterial superbug in solution

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) says 68 people in 16 states were diagnosed with infections from the bacteria, which has caused three deaths and eight people to lose their vision. The CDC also said that four people have undergone surgery to remove an eyeball due to the infections. Global Pharma Healthcare recalled its Artificial Tears Lubricant Eye Drops that were distributed by EzriCare and Delsam Pharma last month. The drops had been sold at drug stores across the country, including Walmart, Target, and CVS. Health authorities are continuing to track infections as they investigate the outbreak in 16 states, including California, New York, Illinois, Texas and Pennsylvania.

This has led to the scary fact that no one knows where most of our drugs come from.

Outsourcing U.S. Drug Manufacturing to China was a Mistake—A Lethal One | Opinion

Drug manufacturing has largely moved overseas—mostly to China and India—leaving few drug ingredients or finished drugs produced here. Even of those finished drugs that are produced here, estimates are that over 80 percent of the active pharmaceutical ingredients (API) in the drugs come from foreign nations, mainly China. That is just a guess, as the FDA itself doesn’t even know. And while estimates are that over 80 percent of API may come from foreign nations, in the case of many antibiotics and drugs that treat high blood pressure, China is the sole source of API. Making it worse, while many generic drugs are produced in India—estimates are 70 percent or more—they also use API from China.

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[D.C. politicians have] spent the past 20-plus years creating an economic system in which China can provide national support to those making API, which in turns allows those companies to lower their prices and kill U.S. production. The result is that most of the large-scale manufacturing technology and knowledge has also been exported out of this country.

…Chinese factories, operate without fear of an inspector knocking at the door any minute; visas must be processed well in advance for FDA inspectors visiting factories there, so inspections are scheduled well in advance. And what’s scary is that the FDA admitted that they know of issues with these foreign facilities but have refused to take action, fearing that could lead to a drug shortage. Increased domestic production could avoid these types of quality issues almost entirely and continue to allow unannounced, realistic inspections.

Article

Section 3: Growing U.S. Reliance on China’S Biotech and Pharmaceutical Products

Drug companies are not required to list the API country of or-igin on their product labels; therefore, U.S. consumers may be unknowingly accepting risks associated with drugs originating from China. • The Chinese government has designated biotechnology as a pri-ority industry as a part of its 13th Five-Year Plan and the Made

https://www.uscc.gov › sites › default › files › 2019-11 › Chapter 3 Section 3 – Growing U.S. Reliance on China’s Biotech and Pharmaceutical Products.pdf