Lawmakers Probe Drugmakers Over China Clinical Trials
Get the Health newsletter
Daily health & science — research, biotech, public health, the studies worth knowing. Free.
- Bipartisan U.S. lawmakers launched national security investigations into whether several large drugmakers were involved in clinical trials in China that may have helped fuel the country's military capability
- Lawmakers demanded details on due diligence, data protection processes, and other standards at China trial sites—particularly in the Xinjiang region and at military hospitals—by a July 17 deadline
- FDA career scientists said there is not enough evidence to allow compounding pharmacies to produce certain peptides, directly contradicting Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr.'s push to expand access to the wellness products
- At least seven newly appointed members of a federal panel set to review peptides next month have ties to peptide-related businesses and clinics, with another member being the son of a congresswoman who urged Kennedy to convene the panel
Why it matters: The bipartisan nature of the congressional probe gives it weight that could force drugmakers to disclose sensitive details about their China operations and potentially reshape clinical trial partnerships there. Separately, FDA scientists publicly breaking with Kennedy on peptides signals that the agency's career staff are willing to push back against the health secretary's deregulatory agenda from within.
Ask SkimNews
