WASHINGTON – A bipartisan group of lawmakers is calling on the Biden administration to restrict U.S. biotechnology to Chinese troops, citing concerns that the Chinese government could weaponize biotechnology to create more virulent pathogens. requested that Japan consider restricting the export of
In a letter dated Thursday and seen by Reuters, lawmakers led by Republican China Select Committee Chairman John Moolener told Secretary of Commerce Gina Raimondo that China is working with Chinese medical institutions under military ownership. It called on the government to consider imposing licensing restrictions on U.S. drug companies.
The U.S.-China biotech race “will impact not only our national and economic security, but also the future of health care and the security of America’s health data,” Ranking Member and Democratic Party member Raja Krishnamoorthi said. The signed letter states: Republican Neil Dunn is also on the same committee.
The Commerce Department did not immediately respond to a request for comment, but Raimondo’s term ends at the end of this month, so he is unlikely to have time to impose new regulations on biotech. The Chinese embassy in Washington did not respond to a request for comment.
The letter signals growing concerns about China’s role in the biotechnology industry.
In August, he and Democratic Rep. Anna Eshoo called for increased oversight of U.S. clinical trials conducted in China, citing the risk of intellectual property theft and the possible forced participation of Uyghurs. A request was made to the Pharmaceutical Affairs Bureau.
They say U.S. drug companies have worked with hospitals run by the Chinese military to conduct hundreds of clinical trials over the past decade in areas such as Xinjiang, home to China’s ethnic Uyghur minority.
Laura Paulos, FDA’s acting assistant commissioner for legislative affairs, said in a Jan. 2 response letter to lawmakers that safeguards were in place for trial participants.
“Given concerns about human rights abuses occurring in Xinjiang, the FDA has publicly reiterated the need to obtain legally valid informed consent from human subjects in clinical trials,” she wrote. .
In response to concerns about intellectual property theft and technology transfer, Paulos introduced lawmakers to “appropriate U.S. federal agency partners.”
This article was generated from the Automata news agency feed without any modifications to the text.
