On August 20, a bipartisan group of lawmakers, led by Indian American Representative Raja Krishnamoorthi, urged the Biden administration to intensify oversight of U.S. clinical trials being conducted in China. Their concerns center on the potential theft of intellectual property and the risk of forced participation of Uyghurs in these trials.
Representative John Moolenaar, a Republican who chairs the House Select Committee on China, and Democratic Representative Raja Krishnamoorthi highlighted that U.S. pharmaceutical companies have collaborated with Chinese military-run hospitals to conduct numerous clinical trials over the past decade. These trials have even been conducted in Xinjiang, the region where China’s Uyghur minority resides.
“Given the historical suppression and medical discrimination against ethnic minorities in this region, there are significant ethical concerns around conducting clinical trials in (Xinjiang),” Moolenaar and Krishnamoorthi expressed in a letter dated August 19, which was directed to Robert Califf, the head of the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA).
The letter, co-signed by Democratic Representative Anna Eshoo and Republican Representative Neal Dunn, further stated, “These collaborative research activities raise serious concerns that critical intellectual property is at risk of being transferred to the (People’s Liberation Army) or being co-opted under the People’s Republic of China’s National Security Law.”
As of the article’s publication, the FDA had not provided a response to requests for comment.
In response to these concerns, the Chinese embassy in Washington rejected the accusations, labeling claims of intellectual theft as “groundless” and dismissing allegations of genocide in Xinjiang as “sheer falsehood.” The embassy emphasized, “China-US cooperation in health care…is mutually beneficial in essence,” and added that “politicizing and instrumentalizing normal cooperation” was not in anyone’s interest.
This letter reflects a growing unease among U.S. lawmakers about China’s expanding role in the biotechnology industry.
Earlier this year, in April, Representatives Krishnamoorthi and John Moolenaar’s predecessor, Republican Representative Michael Gallagher, urged the Biden administration to add seven Chinese biotechnology companies to a list managed by the U.S. Department of Defense. This list identifies firms that are allegedly collaborating with Beijing’s military.
Additionally, U.S. lawmakers are contemplating legislation that would limit business dealings with certain Chinese biotechnology companies, including WuXi AppTec and BGI.
The letter to the FDA requests answers to a series of questions about these clinical trials by October 1, reflecting the urgency and importance of this matter to the concerned lawmakers.
