Congress intensifies pressure on Chinese biotechs

Congressional activity aimed at decoupling the U.S. and Chinese biotech industries has intensified and expanded over the past 24 hours, propelled by election year politics and politicians’ lack of understanding of the biomedical innovation ecosystem. It isn’t clear whether or when bills that are being debated now will be enacted, but the depth of bipartisan support suggests that legislation aimed at curtailing the activities of Chinese life sciences companies in the U.S. will be enacted sooner or later.

Since Tuesday, a Senate committee has endorsed anti-China biotech legislation, a House select committee has doubled down on attacks against Chinese contract development and manufacturing companies, and leaders of the House Energy and Commerce Committee have introduced privacy legislation that could make it difficult or impossible for U.S. companies to seek drug approvals in China. ...