A bipartisan group of lawmakers, spearheaded by Indian American Representative Raja Krishnamoorthi, urged the Biden administration on August 20th to intensify oversight of U.S. clinical trials conducted in China. Their concerns stem from potential intellectual property theft and the risk of forced participation of Uyghurs in these trials.
Republican John Moolenaar, chair of the House Select Committee on China, and Democrat Raja Krishnamoorthi, highlighted the collaboration between U.S. drug companies and Chinese military-run hospitals. Over the past decade, hundreds of clinical trials have been conducted, including in Xinjiang, a region home to China’s Uyghur minority.
“Given the historical suppression and medical discrimination against ethnic minorities in this region, there are significant ethical concerns around conducting clinical trials in Xinjiang,” wrote Moolenaar and Krishnamoorthi in a letter addressed to FDA Commissioner Robert Califf, dated August 19. The letter, co-signed by Democrat Anna Eshoo and Republican Neal Dunn, also raised alarms about the risk of critical intellectual property being transferred to the People’s Liberation Army or co-opted under China’s National Security Law.
The FDA has yet to respond to the letter. Meanwhile, the Chinese embassy in Washington dismissed the allegations of intellectual property theft as “groundless” and described the accusations of genocide in Xinjiang as “sheer falsehood.” The embassy emphasized that China-U.S. cooperation in healthcare is “mutually beneficial” and warned against politicizing such collaborations.
This letter reflects growing unease over China’s expanding role in the biotechnology sector. Earlier this year, Krishnamoorthi, along with Moolenaar’s predecessor Rep. Michael Gallagher, called for the Biden administration to add seven Chinese biotech firms to a Defense Department list highlighting companies allegedly working with Beijing’s military.
Lawmakers are now considering legislation to restrict U.S. business with certain Chinese biotechnology firms, including WuXi AppTec and BGI. The letter requests the FDA to provide detailed answers about the trials by October 1st.
Source: New India Abroad
