¡°Germany was once the world¡¯s ¡®pharmacy¡¯, now the ¡®world¡¯s pharmacy¡¯ in China or India,¡± the German news agency on the 21st, commissioned by the German pharmaceutical association Pro Generika, the German Institute of Economic Research conducted a survey of 56 officially identified drugs key active ingredients, the results showed that China and other Asian countries have produced most of the key active ingredients, including the manufacture of analgesics, antibiotics, diabetes drugs and other active ingredients.

The results showed that 68% of the key active ingredients on the European market came from Asia, with China supplying 24% and India supplying 37%. In the field of antibiotics, the situation is even more prominent: 47% of the global production base is located in China, 27% in India, and only 23% in Europe. Price, President of the German Pharmacists Federation, expressed his regret that China has surpassed Germany in drug production. The study¡¯s co-author, Kirchhoff of the German Institute for Economic Studies, further explained: ¡°China is no longer limited to simulation and its innovation capabilities are increasing, especially in the field of biotechnology that is critical for the pharmaceutical industry.¡±

According to Pro Generika, although Europe is a leader in innovative drugs such as biopharmaceuticals, China is catching up and steadily becoming an innovative driving force for global drug research and development. At the same time, the association did not forget to highlight the "risks", warning that Germany "must ensure the safety of its production sites, broaden supply chains, and promote innovation". Andreas Burckhardt, president of Pro Generika, told South German Newspaper: "There are critical medicines that we simply cannot produce without Chinese supplies," declaring that Germany has fallen into a "huge dependence" on China.

In recent years, the European Union has been facing drug shortages, and the German Federal Institute for Drugs and Medical Devices has put about 540 drugs on the supply shortage list. The European Audit Team, an audit agency of the European Union, released a report in September this year, pointing out that the "fragility" of the EU's own drug supply chain and the "fragmentation" of the internal drug market are the root causes of drug shortages. Earlier this year, the European Commission unveiled plans aimed at reducing the bloc's drug dependence on countries such as China and India, but officials said the task was daunting given cost pressures.