US clinical trials in China draw questions on IP theft, Uygur involvement

A bipartisan group of lawmakers on Tuesday called on the Biden administration to ramp up scrutiny of US clinical trials conducted in China, citing the risk of intellectual property theft and the possibility of forced participation of Uygurs.

Republican John Moolenaar, who chairs the House Select Committee on China, and senior Democrat Raja Krishnamoorthi said US drug companies have collaborated with Chinese military-run hospitals to conduct hundreds of clinical trials over the last decade, including in Xinjiang, home to China’s Uygur minority group.

The US Federal Drug Administration did not respond to a request for comment.

“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 wrote in a letter dated August 19 and addressed to Robert Califf, who oversees the FDA.

The Chinese embassy in Washington said “accusations of intellectual theft” were “groundless,” and described the allegations of genocide in Xinjiang as “sheer falsehood”.

“China-US cooperation in healthcare … is mutually beneficial in essence,” the embassy said, adding that politicising and instrumentalising normal cooperation was not in the interests of anyone.

The letter, also signed by Democrat Anna Eshoo and Republican Neal Dunn, went on: “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.”

The letter is a sign of growing concern over China’s role in the biotechnology industry.

In April, Krishnamoorthi and Moolenaar’s Republican predecessor congressman Michael Gallagher called on the Biden administration to add seven Chinese biotech firms to a list created by the US Defence Department to highlight firms it says are allegedly working with Beijing’s military.

Lawmakers are also considering legislation that would restrict US business with certain Chinese biotechnology companies including WuXi AppTec and BGI.

The letter asks the FDA to answer a series of questions about the trials by October 1.