Reports from BioCentury and Endpoints News, based on anonymous insider sources, suggest that US lawmakers are currently gathering information on clinical trials conducted at hospitals with ties to the Chinese military as part of the Biosecure Act. The House Select Committee on the Chinese Communist Party and other congressional offices have reached out to industry trade groups BIO and PhRMA to investigate the extent of clinical trial involvement with Chinese military-affiliated hospitals. The committee’s actions are described as a preliminary “general inquiry” rather than a formal request or an investigation.
This new line of inquiry by lawmakers may have significant implications for multinational corporations (MNCs) engaged in drug development in China. As MNCs increasingly prioritize the Chinese market in early-stage planning and development, China has become the third most popular location for clinical research globally, following the US and Western Europe. According to public data, approximately 490 multi-regional clinical trials by MNCs have involved Chinese hospitals with ‘military’ in their title, with nearly 250 active trials for 170 individual drugs.
Rep. John Moolenaar, chair of the committee, has previously proposed an amendment to a US appropriations bill, HR 9027, which would prohibit the FDA from reviewing drugs tested at sites affiliated with the Chinese military, as previously reported by BioCentury.- Flcube.com
