\u201cAs we stand at the crossroads of artificial intelligence and life sciences, we are witnessing a profound transformation \u2014 not just in how we discover new therapies, but also in how we produce and deliver them with unprecedented speed, precision and scale,\u201d said Purdue President Mung Chiang, who moderated the panel discussion. \u201cThrough our One Health initiative, research institutes in medicine, and rapidly expanding industry partnership, Purdue is uniquely positioned to help achieve the objectives announced at this summit today. Together with key representation from academia, industry and national policy, we can work to transform how manufacturing is onshored and essential medicines are made in America.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Speakers at the \u201cMaking Medicines in America\u201d event included:<\/p>\n\n\n\n
- \n
- Andrew Carpenter, Chief Scientific Officer, Phlow<\/li>\n\n\n\n
- Mung Chiang, President, Purdue<\/li>\n\n\n\n
- Stephen Ezell, VP, Global Innovation Policy, ITIF<\/li>\n\n\n\n
- Monique K. Mansoura, Global Health Security & Biotechnology, Strategic Advisor<\/li>\n\n\n\n
- Manish Oza, MD, Industry Executive in Health Care and Life Sciences, Google Public Sector<\/li>\n\n\n\n
- Elizabeth Topp, Director, Young Institute, Purdue<\/li>\n\n\n\n
- William D. Young, Senior Advisor, Blackstone Life Sciences<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n
With keynotes from:<\/p>\n\n\n\n
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- U.S. Sen. Todd Young, R-Indiana<\/li>\n\n\n\n
- Dave Ricks, chair and chief executive officer, Eli Lilly and Company<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n
The U.S. faces a critical dependency on overseas players that is threatened by global supply chains and rapid advances in AI-enabled manufacturing, posing serious risks to national security and the nation\u2019s health care system.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.purdue.edu\/newsroom\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/ITIF-accordsignees.jpg\" "\\"\\"")
Coalition members from academia, pharmaceutical manufacturing and the tech industry pose for a photo after signing a collaborative accord communicating their shared commitment to onshoring critical medicine manufacturing to secure America\u2019s health and prosperity. From left: Jim Colson, Texas A&M Health; Elizabeth Topp, Purdue University; Andrew Carpenter, Phlow; and Dr. Manish Oza, Google Public Sector. (Purdue University photo\/Ian Wagreich)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n The signed accord<\/a> lays out a shared vision to reverse that trend, outlining concrete objectives to lower production costs, improve quality control, build a geographically distributed manufacturing base, accelerate regulatory pathways and train a new generation of skilled talent to lead in AI-enabled pharmaceutical innovation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Dave Ricks, chair and chief executive officer of Eli Lilly and Company, noted that this is a pivotal moment for the pharmaceutical sector and our nation. He encouraged U.S. policymakers to focus on ways to promote free enterprise and unleash American innovation in critical industries, with the aim of strengthening our country\u2019s global competitiveness.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cWe are doubling down on investments in innovation, people, and domestic research and manufacturing infrastructure \u2014 all to ensure that we can discover and produce a steady supply of high-quality medicines for America and the world,\u201d said Ricks, who delivered a keynote address to end the event. \u201cWe have committed $50 billion to U.S manufacturing since 2020, and we look forward to creating thousands of high-wage jobs for Americans who will transform how medicines are made. The future of our industry rests in strong incentives and bold decisions to make life-changing medicines in America.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.purdue.edu\/newsroom\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/ITIF-Ricks.jpg\" "\\"\\"")
Dave Ricks, chair and chief executive officer of Eli Lilly and Company, speaks at the “Making Medicines in America” event on Capitol Hill on May 7. (Purdue University photo\/Ian Wagreich)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n \u201cFor decades, Google has been revolutionizing how to organize information and make it universally accessible and useful. The tech industry giant is continuing to advance technology by developing AI-powered solutions that transform industries like health care and accelerate scientific discoveries,\u201d said Dr. Manish Oza, industry executive of health care and life sciences at Google Public Sector. \u201cWe are excited about the contributions Google can make in applying our expertise to developing the AI-enabled, next-generation medicine manufacturing platforms, all with the goal to improve the quality of life for Americans and help us live longer.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The timing for this effort couldn\u2019t be more urgent.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cOver and over again, we see the price our nation pays when we are confronted with the uncontrollable impacts of supply chain disruptions because of our reliance on overseas manufacturing,\u201d said U.S. Sen. Todd Young, R-Indiana. \u201cAside from the economic implications of these risks, these disruptions pose threats to our vital national security, too. This broad-based and comprehensive effort to onshoring critical medicine manufacturing would help address these issues while ensuring the health and well-being of our citizens of this great nation.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Andrew Carpenter, PhD, chief scientific officer at Phlow, a B-Corp pharmaceutical CDMO in America, hopes that the collaborative commitment made by those signing the accord can help shift the U.S. to a period of manufacturing renaissance, returning essential medicine production to America.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cAt Phlow, we recognized early on the critical vulnerabilities in our pharmaceutical supply chain and how we needed to adapt and evolve to capitalize on technologies such as AI and how AI was emerging as potential game changers,\u201d he said. \u201cThis coalition\u2019s call is to help the U.S. pharmaceutical industry adapt to these technological shifts and to work with industry partners, university researchers and policymakers to make domestic production economically viable and sustainable for the long term.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Key for that coalition\u2019s strategic vision is preparing a skilled, AI-enabled workforce to drive American innovation through 2030 and beyond.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cThis landmark initiative represents a transformative leap in reshoring pharmaceutical manufacturing by integrating artificial intelligence and advanced manufacturing technologies,\u201d said Indra K. Reddy, interim chief operating officer and senior vice president of Texas A&M Health. \u201cTexas A&M is proud to serve as a founding partner in this bold, cross-sector collaboration to strengthen America\u2019s pharmaceutical supply chain.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Purdue\u2019s leadership in this effort stems from the\u00a0William D. and Sherry L. Young Institute for the Advanced Manufacturing of Pharmaceuticals<\/a>\u00a0and the\u00a0Young Institute Pharmaceutical Manufacturing Consortium<\/a>, a collaboration with industry leaders Merck & Co. Inc. and Eli Lilly and Company. The Young Institute is part of the Institutes and Centers at Discovery Park District at Purdue<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The consortium is focused on driving a future where medicines are produced faster, more securely and at lower cost \u2014 revolutionizing both the manufacturing processes and the workforce that supports them. In addition, the Purdue-led effort will research and develop new production technologies, autonomous systems, and smart AI and digital technology to accelerate the research of innovative discoveries.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The Purdue-led Making Medicines in America effort also aligns with the university\u2019s One Health initiative<\/a>, where researchers are tackling complex challenges with real-world impact at the intersection of human, animal and plant health, aimed at improving health outcomes for all living things while driving economic growth regionally and globally.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
About Purdue University<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Purdue University is a public research university leading with excellence at scale. Ranked among top 10 public universities in the United States, Purdue discovers, disseminates and deploys knowledge with a quality and at a scale second to none. More than 107,000 students study at Purdue across multiple campuses, locations and modalities, including more than 58,000 at our main campus in West Lafayette and Indianapolis. Committed to affordability and accessibility, Purdue\u2019s main campus has frozen tuition 14 years in a row. See how Purdue never stops in the persistent pursuit of the next giant leap \u2014 including its comprehensive urban expansion, the Mitch Daniels School of Business, Purdue Computes and the One Health initiative \u2014 at https:\/\/www.purdue.edu\/president\/strategic-initiatives<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n