West Virginia AG McCuskey: Warns of Chinese Pharma Risk in GLP-1 Supply

• West Virginia Attorney General JB McCuskey joined 19 other state attorneys general in a letter to Secretary of State Marco Rubio.
• The letter warned of national security risks from Chinese-sourced pharmaceutical ingredients used in compounded GLP-1 drugs like semaglutide, tirzepatide, and retatrutide.
• The FDA's "Green List," reportedly authorized in September 2025, is being exploited by Chinese suppliers to ship unapproved products to the U.S. without inspection.
• Harbin Jixianglong Biotech Co., Ltd., a Green List company, was found repackaging and relabeling knock-off semaglutide from an unregistered facility for U.S. distribution.
• The attorneys general are urging the National Security Council to address these oversight gaps and prevent dangerous ingredients from entering the country.

The Green List, intended to streamline imports, has inadvertently enabled Chinese suppliers to dispatch unapproved and counterfeit products to the United States without facing typical detention or inspection protocols.

West Virginia Attorney General JB McCuskey recently joined a collaborative effort with nineteen other state attorneys general, spearheaded by Alabama, to address a critical vulnerability within the nation's pharmaceutical supply chain. This collective action involved sending a letter to Secretary of State Marco Rubio, drawing attention to what the attorneys general describe as a significant national security risk posed by businesses operating from China. The communication specifically highlights the dangers associated with certain pharmaceutical ingredients, particularly those utilized in popular compounded GLP-1 medications such as semaglutide, tirzepatide, and retatrutide.

The letter details how Chinese entities are actively exploiting existing regulatory gaps, thereby introducing potentially hazardous components into the American market. A particularly alarming instance cited in the correspondence involves a Chinese business that, while taking advantage of these oversight deficiencies, maintained direct connections to organizations known for manufacturing fentanyl. This situation underscores the dual threat of compromised pharmaceutical safety and broader national security implications stemming from these supply chain weaknesses.

A key concern raised by the attorneys general centers on the Food and Drug Administration's (FDA) "Green List" of suppliers, which was reportedly authorized in September 2025. This mechanism, intended to streamline imports, has inadvertently enabled Chinese suppliers to dispatch unapproved and counterfeit products to the United States without facing typical detention or inspection protocols. Despite efforts to establish the genuine origin, custody trail, and ultimate application of ingredients in real-time, the Green List has regrettably evolved into a recognized conduit for illicit trade.

A concrete illustration of this exploitation involves Harbin Jixianglong Biotech Co., Ltd. (Harbin), a Chinese firm listed on the FDA's Green List. Investigations revealed that Harbin procured counterfeit semaglutide from a facility not registered with the FDA and not included on the Green List. Following an on-site inspection, it was discovered that Harbin subsequently repackaged and relabeled these unapproved products under its own brand, altered the manufacturing and retest dates, and then proceeded to distribute them into the United States, bypassing critical safety checks due to its Green List status.

The implications of these identified vulnerabilities extend directly to the health and safety of American consumers, who may unknowingly be exposed to dangerous or ineffective pharmaceutical ingredients. Attorney General McCuskey emphasized that Chinese businesses are leveraging a significant oversight gap, thereby jeopardizing public well-being. The collective of attorneys general is urging the National Security Council to promptly address this systemic flaw and implement measures to prevent these dangerous ingredients from entering the country.

This coordinated action by twenty state attorneys general, including those from Arkansas, Georgia, Idaho, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, North Dakota, Ohio, Oklahoma, South Carolina, Tennessee, and Utah, underscores a widespread concern across the nation regarding the integrity of the pharmaceutical supply chain. The letter serves as a critical warning about the need for immediate and comprehensive action to safeguard against foreign exploitation of regulatory frameworks that could have severe consequences for national health and security.

Compliance officers and legal counsel in the pharmaceutical sector, especially those involved with compounded GLP-1 drugs or international ingredient sourcing, should anticipate heightened regulatory scrutiny and potential revisions to FDA 'Green List' protocols, necessitating immediate review of supply chain due diligence and risk management strategies to mitigate product liability and national security risks.

Source: Reporting based on official state communications.