Bipartisan lawmakers are demanding an investigation into U.S. pharmaceutical companies allegedly collaborating with the Chinese military and conducting unethical trials in Xinjiang.
A group of bipartisan lawmakers is urging the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to investigate U.S. pharmaceutical companies that have allegedly conducted clinical trials in collaboration with the Chinese military and in Xinjiang, a region notorious for human rights violations. This demand was detailed in a letter obtained by the Daily Caller News Foundation.
In a Monday letter to the FDA, the lawmakers, including Republican Reps. John Moolenaar and Neal Dunn and Democratic Reps. Anna Eshoo and Raja Krishnamoorthi, expressed grave concerns about U.S. pharmaceutical companies working with the Chinese military, particularly the People’s Liberation Army (PLA). The letter raises concerns that U.S. intellectual property may be at risk of being compromised under the People’s Republic of China’s (PRC) National Security Law.
“These collaborative research activities raise serious concerns that critical Intellectual Property (IP) is at risk of being transferred to the PLA or being co-opted under the People’s Republic of China’s (PRC) National Security Law,” the letter states. Additionally, the lawmakers questioned the reliability of clinical trial data generated from PLA-affiliated institutions.
The letter also highlights that several U.S. pharmaceutical companies have conducted clinical trials in Xinjiang, a region known for “genocide” against Uyghurs and other ethnic Muslim minorities*. The lawmakers cited credible reports indicating that ethnic minorities* in Xinjiang are often forced to participate in clinical trials, raising ethical concerns about the voluntary nature of these studies.
“There are also U.S. biopharmaceutical trials listed on clinicaltrials.gov that were conducted with hospitals located in Xinjiang,” the letter notes. “As we know, there is simply no ability for firms to conduct due diligence to ensure that clinical trials done in Xinjiang are voluntary. Given this, we believe that U.S. biopharmaceutical entities could be unintentionally profiting from the data derived from clinical trials during which the CCP forced victim patients to participate.”
The lawmakers requested the FDA clarify whether it has reviewed clinical trials involving the PLA or conducted at PLA installations. They also inquired if the FDA has ever been denied access to clinical sites in China and whether U.S. pharmaceutical companies were informed about their studies or trials being conducted in Xinjiang.
The letter sets an October 1 deadline for the FDA’s response. “Data from U.S. biopharmaceutical companies who conducted clinical trials at institutions affiliated with the PLA or other organizations in the XUAR are likely already in FDA’s possession,” the lawmakers asserted.
An FDA spokesperson confirmed receipt of the letter and stated that the agency will respond directly to the Members of Congress.
This call for an investigation underscores the growing concerns over the entanglement of U.S. companies with foreign entities that may compromise national security and ethical standards.
