Let’s Not Wait for the Next Crisis to Act on Medicine Supply Security
In today’s rapidly evolving landscape, Europe’s ability to manufacture foundational medicines is under growing pressure. In this blog, Centrient CEO Rex Clements explores why local antibiotic production is at risk — and what must be done to protect public health and ensure a resilient, sustainable supply. Read on to learn what’s at stake and how Centrient is stepping up.
By Rex Clements, CEO
Recently, developments in our industry have quietly highlighted a growing challenge for Europe: the difficulty of sustaining critical medicine manufacturing within our region.
While every company must make decisions based on its own realities, the issue is hard to ignore — producing life-saving antibiotics in Europe is under increasing pressure. This trend deserves attention.
At Centrient Pharmaceuticals , we believe that safeguarding public health begins with securing the supply of foundational medicines — antibiotics among them. This cannot happen if Europe allows its manufacturing base to slowly decline.
Consider this: today, over 60% of the world’s penicillin API capacity and over 80% of intermediate production are concentrated in China. For cephalosporins, another vital antibiotic class, there are just two intermediate production sites globally — one is ours in the Netherlands; the other does not meet EU or U.S. standards. In the United States, there is no domestic API production for antibiotics at all.
Supply shocks, geopolitical instability, pandemics, economic downturns — these aren’t hypothetical risks. We’ve lived them. And each time, medicine shortages follow. The most vulnerable — especially children — suffer first and most.
This is why we’ve chosen a different path. Centrient continues to invest in diversified, backward-integrated manufacturing right here in Europe and the Americas. It's not the cheapest route, but it is the right one — for quality, sustainability, and security of supply.
We welcome the ambition behind the EU’s Critical Medicines Act, but ambition alone won’t keep medicines on shelves. We need concrete, coordinated action to bring key production back to Europe. That means:
• Supporting public-private partnerships.
• Changing procurement rules to reward local and sustainable manufacturing.
• Streamlining regulatory and investment pathways.
• Partnering closely with stakeholders like the CMA to turn intent into impact.
We are not asking for protectionism — we are asking for strategic realism. Manufacturing medicines in Europe costs more. But the price of inaction is far higher.
At Centrient, we are prepared to be part of the solution. We are investing in mirror manufacturing sites to ensure resilience. We are building where the talent is. And we remain committed to making essential medicines with the highest standards of quality and responsibility.