Chinese pharma firms keep global supply chain ticking

Industry remains competitive and resilient despite outbreak, say experts

Amid challenges brought by COVID-19, China's pharmaceutical industrial chain remains competitive and resilient, playing an integral part in continuously bringing stability to the global healthcare ecosystem, industry experts said.

Currently, 60 percent of active pharmaceutical ingredients (APIs) around the globe are produced in China, said Paul Hudson, chief executive officer of Sanofi.

The United States-China Economic and Security Review Commission estimated that China and India manufacture 80 percent of the world's APIs, including various active compounds used to treat bacterial infections, cancer, heart disease and diabetes.