Strengthening Bioprocessing Supply Chains: The American Manufacturing Advantage

In today’s complex global economy, bioprocessing manufacturers face unprecedented challenges in maintaining reliable access to critical components. As the pharmaceutical industry undergoes a profound shift—with major players like Amgen, Eli Lilly, and AstraZeneca moving more manufacturing back to U.S. soil through multi-billion-dollar investments—the importance of resilient supply chains has never been more evident.¹

This reshoring trend responds directly to vulnerabilities exposed during recent global disruptions, where international shipping delays, escalating tariffs, and increasingly complex regulatory requirements created a perfect storm of supply chain risks. For bioprocessing companies that depend on consistent, high-quality materials to produce life-saving therapeutics and vaccines, these disruptions aren’t merely inconvenient—they can significantly impact production timelines and patient outcomes.

The Hidden Costs of Imported Tubing

The sticker price of imported bioprocessing tubing rarely tells the complete story. Beyond the base cost lies a maze of additional expenses that can dramatically increase the total investment:

• Tariffs and duties that fluctuate with changing trade policies
• Customs clearance fees that vary by country of origin
• Broker handling charges for international documentation
• Extended lead times that necessitate larger inventory holdings
• Quality documentation gaps requiring additional verification

These hidden costs often go unrecognized until they appear as unexpected line items or, worse, as production delays when materials are held at customs. For bioprocessing applications where timing is critical, these delays can cascade throughout production schedules, creating expensive ripple effects.

According to Manufacturing Today, approximately 72% of active pharmaceutical ingredient (API) facilities supplying the U.S. are located overseas, with significant concentrations in China and India. This dependence doesn’t just heighten risks during global disruptions, it creates ongoing challenges in maintaining consistent quality control and regulatory compliance for the entire supply chain, including critical single-use components like tubing and connectors.

SaniSure’s Domestic Manufacturing Advantage

SaniSure has strategically invested in comprehensive USA-based manufacturing capabilities, creating a robust alternative to the uncertainties of global supply chains. Our domestic facilities operate under stringent ISO 9001:2015 certification, with production occurring in controlled ISO Class 7 cleanroom environments featuring advanced HEPA filtration systems, continuous particulate monitoring, and rigorous environmental control protocols. Our cleanrooms maintain consistent non-viable particulate counts well below ISO standards through robust differential pressure cascades and dedicated gowning procedures with comprehensive personnel qualification programs.

The vertical integration of manufacturing processes—from raw material inspection through extrusion validation and final product release testing—gives us unprecedented control over quality, consistency, and delivery timelines. Each manufacturing lot undergoes comprehensive IQ/OQ/PQ validation according to GAMP 5 methodologies, with complete process validation master plans ensuring repeatable quality outcomes.

By maintaining complete production capabilities within the United States, including in-house sterilization validation capabilities and accelerated aging studies, we eliminate the vulnerabilities associated with offshore manufacturing. Our validated quality management system ensures rigorous change control protocols and complete material traceability throughout the production lifecycle. Customers benefit from dramatically shortened supply chains, with materials moving directly from our environmentally monitored cleanrooms to their facilities, without international borders, customs inspections, or shipping consolidators adding complexity and delay.

Regulatory Compliance Without Borders

For bioprocessing manufacturers, regulatory documentation isn’t optional—it’s essential. Domestically manufactured components offer significant advantages in maintaining unbroken chains of compliance documentation. SaniSure’s American-made tubing solutions come with comprehensive validation packages that meet or exceed:

• FDA requirements for bioprocessing components
• USP Class VI testing protocols
• ISO 10993 biocompatibility standards
• Full traceability documentation

When materials cross international borders, documentation requirements multiply exponentially. Each jurisdiction may demand different certifications, with varying formats and approval processes. Domestic manufacturing eliminates these complications, providing clear, consistent documentation that satisfies American regulatory standards without translation issues or international interpretation challenges.

Pharmaceutical companies with domestic production capabilities benefit from enhanced oversight across the entire production lifecycle—a level of control that’s difficult to achieve with overseas facilities. For bioprocessing components like platinum-cured silicone tubing, where material consistency is critical, this control translates directly to more reliable performance in final applications.

Product Portfolio Overview

SaniSure’s domestic manufacturing capabilities encompass a comprehensive range of tubing solutions designed specifically for bioprocessing applications:

• Platinum-cured silicone tubing with exceptional purity profiles
• TPE tubing for welding and sealing needs
• Specialty fluoropolymer options with superior flexibility and chemical compatibility
• Custom manifold systems and transfer sets fitting multiple bioprocess options

Each product is manufactured under the same stringent quality systems, ensuring consistency across applications and eliminating the variability that often comes with sourcing from multiple international suppliers with different standards and processes.

Future-Proofing Supply Chains

The global disruptions of recent years have demonstrated the fundamental vulnerability of extended international supply chains. Companies that depend on bioprocessing components from overseas have experienced unprecedented challenges:

• Shipping container shortages creating months-long backlogs
• Rapidly changing international trade agreements imposing new tariffs
• Pandemic-related manufacturing shutdowns causing cascading shortages
• Geopolitical tensions creating unpredictable supply limitations

Domestic manufacturing provides essential insulation against these global uncertainties. By shortening the supply chain dramatically, SaniSure offers customers genuine security of supply—knowing that their critical components aren’t vulnerable to international shipping disruptions, trade disputes, or foreign manufacturing complications.

This approach aligns with broader industry trends, as evidenced by Executive Order 14017, which prioritizes fortifying domestic supply chains for essential goods, including pharmaceuticals.² The pandemic served as a wake-up call, revealing vulnerabilities that have prompted major pharmaceutical companies to invest billions in reshoring manufacturing capabilities. For bioprocessing component suppliers like SaniSure, domestic production doesn’t just reduce transportation costs and import tariffs—it provides end-to-end visibility that strengthens quality control and ensures strict compliance with FDA standards.

The SaniSure Commitment to American Manufacturing Excellence

SaniSure’s investment in domestic manufacturing capabilities represents our fundamental commitment to supporting the American bioprocessing industry with reliable, high-quality components that never face import complications. Our customers benefit from:

• Elimination of customs delays and international shipping uncertainties
• Faster response to changing specifications and requirements
• Direct access to manufacturing expertise without international barriers
• Complete regulatory documentation without cross-border complications
• Protection against international supply chain disruptions

In a world where supply chain security has become a competitive advantage, SaniSure’s domestic manufacturing capabilities offer bioprocessing companies a clear path to more reliable operations. By choosing American-made components, manufacturers gain more than just premium materials—they secure genuine peace of mind knowing their critical supplies aren’t subject to the complexities and vulnerabilities of global logistics networks.

When production schedules, regulatory compliance, and ultimately patient outcomes depend on consistent access to high-quality components, the advantages of domestic manufacturing become clear. SaniSure is proud to offer that security through our comprehensive American manufacturing capabilities.

^{1 How US-based Manufacturing Could Reshape the Future of Big Pharma}

^{2 Executive Order 14017 on Securing America’s Supply Chains | CISA}