U.S. Lawmakers Probe Drugmakers' China Clinical Trials for National Security Risks

U.S. lawmakers are investigating major drugmakers like Merck and AbbVie over clinical trials conducted in China. Concerns center around these trials potentially enhancing China's military capabilities, especially in regions like Xinjiang. This comes amid the backdrop of China's growing biotech dominance and U.S. monitoring of biotech investments under proposed legislation.

A bipartisan group of U.S. lawmakers has launched national security investigations into five prominent drugmakers, including Merck and AbbVie, for conducting clinical trials in China that could potentially bolster the country's military might.

In letters sent to these companies, lawmakers, spearheaded by Republican Representative John Moolenaar from Michigan, have requested comprehensive details on their due diligence, data protection, and governance protocols by July 17—particularly focusing on trials in the Xinjiang region and at military-run hospitals.

This scrutiny is part of broader U.S. concerns about China's rising influence in the global biotech sector, highlighted by recent studies showing China's significant growth in drug trial volumes and technological advancements, which might pose competition to U.S. leadership.