US Looks to Middle East To Diversify Medicine Supply Chain Away From China
An amendment promoting cooperation between the FDA and Abraham Accords countries has received broad bipartisan support
On Wednesday, the House Energy and Commerce Committee advanced a bill directing the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to open an Abraham Accords Bureau, aimed at promoting cooperation between the FDA and companies in Abraham Accords countries that seek to sell products in the US.
Originally introduced as a stand-alone bill called the US-Abraham Accords Cooperation and Security Act, the proposal to create an Abraham Accords Bureau was later incorporated into the Give Kids a Chance Act, which primarily focuses on pediatric cancer treatment. The bill, including the Abraham Accords Bureau amendment, passed with unanimous approval—43 yeas and no nays—in a committee vote.
The Abraham Accords, a series of treaties signed in 2020, normalized diplomatic relations between Israel and the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain, Sudan, and Morocco.
Rep. Diana Harshbarger, a Republican from Tennessee, said during the markup that the bill would help reduce US reliance on China for imported medical products.
We should be looking to the Abraham Accord countries’ robust biopharmaceutical industries to help diversify and protect our access to crucial medical supply chains that don’t rely on China
“We should be looking to the Abraham Accord countries’ robust biopharmaceutical industries to help diversify and protect our access to crucial medical supply chains that don’t rely on China,” she said.
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Harshbarger was one of the co-sponsors of the US-Abraham Accords Cooperation and Security Act, along with four other Republicans and five Democrats. Their bill was then incorporated into the Give Kids a Chance Act, which seeks to expand pediatric access to experimental cancer treatments. The act had 137 Democratic and 98 Republican co-sponsors. An amendment to the bill calls for the FDA to offer “technical assistance on manufacturing drugs and devices to interested parties in Abraham Accords countries.”
This bipartisan legislation benefits American supply chain independence from China, fosters health care technology growth in the region, and strengthens economic ties among regional allies, advancing peace
“An FDA office in Israel or another Abraham Accords signatory nation will strengthen and secure America’s essential medicine supply chains, while helping Middle Eastern allies build a robust pharmaceutical sector,” Peter Pitts, former associate commissioner of the FDA, told The Media Line. “This bipartisan legislation benefits American supply chain independence from China, fosters health care technology growth in the region, and strengthens economic ties among regional allies, advancing peace.”
The US Israel Education Association (USIEA), a nonpartisan organization promoting US-Israel cooperation, has been working on this amendment since 2019. Pitts is now a senior fellow with the organization.
Heather Johnston, founder and CEO of USIEA, said she anticipates broad bipartisan support for the bill.
This bureau will be a staging ground for fostering friend-shoring partnerships in the Middle East. It’s a critical step in defending the US and Israel against a China-Russia-Iran axis.
“We’re getting closer to another national security crisis due to overdependence on China for medical products and devices,” Johnston told The Media Line. “This bureau will be a staging ground for fostering friend-shoring partnerships in the Middle East. It’s a critical step in defending the US and Israel against a China-Russia-Iran axis.”
Several representatives commented on the extensive bipartisan collaboration that went into crafting the bill and its amendment during the markup session.
“I am proud we could include it here,” said Rep. Gus Bilirakis, a Republican from Florida, about the Abraham Accords Bureau amendment’s inclusion in the Give Kids a Chance Act.
The UAE, Bahrain, and Israel stand to benefit most from the amendment initially, as they already have well-established pharmaceutical industries. For instance, the Dubai Biotechnology and Research Park (DuBiotech) has been operating since 2009. Bahrain has also invested in its pharmaceutical sector, while Israel is a leader in several categories of pharmaceuticals.
