Superbugs in the Supply Chain

The report identifies pharmaceutical manufacturing waste in India and China as a significant driver of antimicrobial resistance (AMR). Through water sampling in India and supply chain analysis, it links specific polluting factories to major global distributors and public health systems, including the UK's NHS. It argues that current Good Manufacturing Practice (GMP) frameworks are insufficient because they lack environmental criteria, allowing 'superbugs' to proliferate and spread globally via trade and travel.

• Water sampling conducted in June 2016 across 34 sites in Hyderabad, New Delhi, and Chennai found that 16 sites harboured antibiotic-resistant bacteria. Four of these sites showed resistance to three major antibiotic classes: cephalosporins, carbapenems, and fluoroquinolones.
• Three specific Indian factories were identified as 'resistance hotspots': Aurobindo Pharma (Hyderabad), Orchid Chemicals (Chennai), and Asiatic Drugs and Pharmaceuticals (Delhi).
• Aurobindo Pharma is highlighted as a major polluter that imports raw materials from polluting Chinese factories and exports finished antibiotics to the U.S. and EU. Its Unit VII in Polepally was found to have wastewater emerging from the perimeter wall, and the site is linked to U.S. distributor McKesson and the UK's National Health Service (NHS).
• In China, pharmaceutical residues are often repurposed as fertiliser to avoid the cost of incineration, creating a legal loophole. For example, Shandong Lukang Pharmaceutical Co. has been linked to the sale of solid waste used in 'organic fertilizer' sold in markets like Shouguang City.
• The report argues that the current Good Manufacturing Practice (GMP) framework used by U.S. and EU regulators is inadequate for preventing AMR because it focuses on drug safety and does not include environmental criteria or waste treatment requirements.
• China is the world's largest exporter of active pharmaceutical ingredients (APIs), supplying over 50% of the global market. Over 80% of Chinese-made penicillin salts are exported to India for processing into end products for global markets.
• The report identifies a 'perfect storm' where industrial pollution combines with the misuse of antibiotics in human medicine and livestock rearing to accelerate the global spread of drug-resistant infections.

APA

Changing Markets Foundation (2016). Superbugs in the Supply Chain. https://changingmarkets.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/10/Superbugsinthesupplychain_CMreport_ENG.pdf

Chicago

Changing Markets Foundation. Superbugs in the Supply Chain. 2016. https://changingmarkets.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/10/Superbugsinthesupplychain_CMreport_ENG.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |author=Changing Markets Foundation |title=Superbugs in the Supply Chain |date=October 2016 |url=https://changingmarkets.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/10/Superbugsinthesupplychain_CMreport_ENG.pdf |access-date=23 October 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{changingmarketsfoundation2016superbugs, author = {{Changing Markets Foundation}}, title = {{Superbugs in the Supply Chain}}, institution = {Changing Markets Foundation}, year = {2016}, month = oct, url = {https://changingmarkets.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/10/Superbugsinthesupplychain_CMreport_ENG.pdf}, urldate = {2026-10-23}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }