ASPR Invests $15M to Secure First U.S. Source of Critical Influenza Drug Component, Reducing Reliance on Foreign Resources

The Administration for Strategic Preparedness and Response (ASPR), part of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, today announced a $15 million investment focused on solving the frequent shortage of Oseltamivir, a key starting material in Tamiflu. This funding is part of a broader set of actions by ASPR leveraging HHS designated Defense Production Act (DPA) Title III authorities to strengthen and protect the U.S. public health supply chain, a key component of national security.

Under the agreement, Manus Bio Inc., a private company in Waltham, Massachusetts, and a leader in scaling bio-alternatives, will expand its facilities in Augusta, Georgia, to produce Shikimic Acid. Using advanced biomanufacturing—including cell factory development, fermentation, and downstream processing—Manus will help strengthen the domestic supply chain for generic antiviral medicines.

“This investment supports modern, flexible manufacturing approaches that can scale more easily and lower production costs,” said John Knox, ASPR’s Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary for Preparedness and Response. “By enabling domestic production of Shikimic Acid – which is currently sourced entirely from China—we are reducing foreign dependence, supporting local job creation, and helping ensure reliable access to critical flu treatments, especially during times of shortage and national need.”

This agreement includes the preparation of any required data for the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to assess drug applications from pharmaceutical manufacturers seeking to use Manus as a supplier.

ASPR’s DPA Title III program targets investments that create, maintain, protect, expand, or restore domestic industrial base capabilities that are critical to preparing for and responding to current and future national emergencies. This award marks Manus’ second DPA investment in biomanufacturing. Its first, awarded in December 2024, supported production of Artemisinin, a key starting material for Artesunate, an essential anti-malaria therapy.

Like the first, this award was made through the Biopharmaceutical Manufacturing Preparedness Consortium (BioMaP-Consortium), managed by Advanced Technologies International under an Other Transaction Authority agreement with ASPR’s Biomedical Advanced Research and Development Authority.

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