Synthetic Biology and Active Pharmaceutical Ingredients Act

HR 6897 establishes a three-year pilot program for the Department of Defense to evaluate using synthetic biology for domestic manufacturing of specific strategic pharmaceutical ingredients and materials. It targets "covered" active pharmaceutical ingredients and "covered key starting materials" that are not sufficiently available domestically and are deemed critical to U.S. national security. The program, to launch by January 2025, aims to reduce reliance on foreign sources for these items by testing novel technologies. The pilot will end three years after the bill's enactment, with no further action specified.