The clinical trial activity conducted in China by some of the largest U.S. pharmaceutical companies has drawn the attention of the American Congress. A committee of the House of Representatives has indeed opened an investigation for national security reasons involving Merck and AbbVie, also extended to Eli Lilly, Pfizer, and Bristol Myers Squibb.
At the center of the initiative are the ways in which clinical studies are managed in the Asian country, with particular attention to the protection of intellectual property, data security, and possible links to structures connected to the Chinese military.
THE COMMITTEE’S INVESTIGATION
As reported by Reuters, the initiative was launched by Michigan Republican Representative John Moolenaar, chairman of the House Select Committee on China, with a series of letters sent to the companies involved. Merck and AbbVie must provide detailed information by July 17 on the due diligence procedures adopted for selecting trial sites, data protection standards, and control systems used in Chinese facilities, with particular reference to centers located in Xinjiang and hospitals affiliated with the armed forces of the People’s Republic of China. Similar requests have also been sent to Eli Lilly, Pfizer, and Bristol Myers Squibb.
The communications addressed to CEOs Robert Davis, for Merck, and Robert Michael, for AbbVie, specify that “there is no evidence” that the two companies “have engaged in illegal or illicit activities,” but add that conducting clinical trials in China “exposes American companies to ethical and security risks.”
THE NUMBERS OF TRIALS IN CHINA
According to data reported by the committee, Merck, based in New Jersey, has sponsored or collaborated on 224 clinical studies in China since 2005. Of these, at least 31 were conducted in Xinjiang and another 40 at hospitals and medical centers linked to the Chinese military.
For AbbVie, headquartered in Illinois, clinical studies conducted or supported in China since 2007 exceed 100. At least 17 trial sites are reportedly located in Xinjiang and another 16 at healthcare facilities affiliated with the Chinese armed forces.
According to the committee, “conducting this research in hospitals of the People’s Republic of China exposes the most advanced American biotech intellectual property to the potential risk of being transferred to the Chinese military.”
CONCERNS ABOUT XINJIANG
In the letters, notes Pharmaceutical Executive, the situation in Xinjiang is also highlighted, identified as the center of repression against the Uyghur minority and other ethnic and religious communities. The lawmakers also cite studies in which Chinese researchers have documented shortcomings in the procedures for obtaining informed consent from clinical trial participants.
For the committee, although it does not explicitly regulate clinical trials, the Uyghur Forced Labor Prevention Act of 2021 represents a reference in terms of best practices to avoid activities being linked to forced labor.
CHINESE BIOTECHNOLOGY IS ADVANCING
The investigation takes place in a context of growing attention from Washington towards the development of the Chinese biotechnology industry. In the letters, reported by Reuters, it is stated that “through a combination of regulatory reforms, state subsidies, and, at best, questionable ethical practices, China has transformed into the cheapest and fastest place in the world to conduct early-stage human clinical trials in drug development.”
According to a study cited by the news agency, in 2024 the U.S. share of global early-stage drug development programs fell to 37% from 48% recorded in 2015, while China’s share rose from 8% to over 32%. The country has also surpassed the United States in overall volume of clinical trials, and in 2025 global pharmaceutical companies signed agreements worth a record $138 billion aimed at acquiring licenses for experimental drugs developed in China.
Concerns were also echoed by the National Security Commission on Emerging Biotechnology which, in a report published in December, stated that “China has systematically built a vertically integrated biotech ecosystem that is now ideally positioned to challenge U.S. leadership.”
THE REACTIONS
Merck stated that patient safety and ethical integrity are priorities of its clinical research program and that all activities are conducted in compliance with international guidelines. AbbVie chose not to comment on the investigation, as did Pfizer, which only confirmed receipt of the letter. Eli Lilly said it is working to review the committee’s request, while Bristol Myers Squibb did not respond to requests for comment.
A spokesperson for the Chinese embassy in the United States called the committee’s initiatives “lacking any credibility,” reiterating Beijing’s opposition to any attempt to politicize commercial and technological issues.
