Multinational pharmaceutical companies are conducting research and human trials in China’s Xinjiang region and at Chinese military hospitals, bypassing US regulations that prohibit such activities. Data from ClinicalTrials.gov reveals that these companies have been sponsoring medical trials in Xinjiang and at People’s Liberation Army-affiliated sites for years. The extent of these trials is challenging to ascertain as some do not fully disclose trial locations or military affiliations of hospitals.
Testing in various locations enables companies to gather data on how medications affect diverse populations under different circumstances, aiding in gaining regulatory approval for their products. For instance, UK-based AstraZeneca’s Covid treatment, Evusheld, underwent trials in Xinjiang and other global sites before receiving US regulatory approval. Despite concerns over human rights violations in Xinjiang, pharmaceutical firms have been able to operate in the region without facing regulatory scrutiny.
Unlike other industries facing sanctions in Xinjiang, drug manufacturers have been exempt from certain regulations, allowing them to continue trials in the region and at military hospitals. The lack of oversight has prompted the House of Representatives to request more information from the FDA regarding pharmaceutical trials in Xinjiang and at PLA hospitals. The FDA has been criticized for accepting data from uninspected Chinese trial sites for drug applications in the US.
