Global Anticoagulant Supply

Anticoagulants are essential to healthcare, yet their global supply is inherently fragile. Reliance on animal-derived heparin creates vulnerability to contamination, zoonotic disease, and logistical disruption, whereas synthetic alternatives such as warfarin and direct oral anticoagulants face mounting manufacturing and geopolitical risks. The COVID-19 pandemic exposed how these intersecting threats can converge during a crisis, causing critical shortages. To build resilience, a systemic shift is required: developing non-animal-derived anticoagulants, diversifying production geographically, establishing protected supply corridors, reducing high-carbon footprint manufacturing processes, and creating equitable allocation frameworks. Anticoagulants must be recognized as essential medical assets, necessitating sustained investment and international coordination to ensure reliable access for all health systems, particularly before the next pandemic or global shock.