China Biotech Bill Advances

A bipartisian group of lawmakers has introduced  BIOSECURE Act, a bill to ensure American patient data and taxpayer dollars do not fall into the hands of foreign adversaries' biotechnology companies of concern by prohibiting Federal contracting with these companies.

Legislation barring federally-funded medical providers from signing contracts with foreign adversary biotech companies has been introduced in both the Senate and the house of Representatives. [read our coverage]

 Chinese biopharmaceutical companies, with their ability  to harness China’s large population of patients to conduct time- and cost-efficient clinical trials play a vital role in the global pharmaceutical industry.

The Chinese Communist Party's (CCP) national security laws require all Chinese firms to share any requested data with the CCP, including biotechnology companies that collect, test, and store American genomic data.

Beijing Genomics Institute (BGI), a company in the People's Republic of China (PRC), has collected DNA from millions around the world and used that data without consent on genomic projects conducted by the Chinese military.

Act sponsors assert that Chinese company WuXi AppTec has sponsored events with China's military, reportedly stolen U.S. intellectual property, and jointly operated genetic collection sites with China's military. Chinese biotechnology companies also "have alarming ties to the ongoing genocide of Uyghurs in Xinjiang, China."

Act promoters note BGI used a pre-natal test to harvest the genetic data of over 8 million pregnant women in Europe, without notifying them their data was going to the PRC. This data would later be used to conduct research with the People's Liberation Army.

in March Biotechnology Innovation Organization (BIO), a major American trade group, endorsed the BIOSECURE Act,and announced that WuXi AppTec would exit the membership organization.

In January Senator Mitt Romney (R-UT), Ranking Member of the Senate Homeland Security & Governmental Affairs (HSGAC) Emerging Threats and Spending Oversight Subcommittee, joined HSGAC Chairman Gary Peters (D-MI), Senator Bill Hagerty (R-TN), and U.S. Representatives Mike Gallagher (R-WI) and Raja Krishnamoorthi (D-IL), in introducing bipartisan, bicameral legislation to help prevent foreign adversaries from stealing sensitive American genetic data and personal health information.

The text of BIOSECURE Act can be found HERE.