US Lawmakers Investigate Merck and AbbVie Over Drug Trials Tied to Chinese Military

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Two Pharma Giants Under the Microscope

The House Select Committee on the Chinese Communist Party has opened formal inquiries into Merck and AbbVie, demanding detailed records on their clinical trial operations inside China. The committee, led by Republican Representative John Moolenaar, sent letters to both companies on Monday, giving them until July 17 to respond.

At stake is whether sensitive biotechnology data and intellectual property generated through these trials could end up benefiting China's military. Investigators are particularly focused on trial sites in Xinjiang and at hospitals affiliated with the People's Liberation Army (PLA).

According to the committee, Merck has sponsored or collaborated on 224 clinical studies in China since 2005, including at least 31 in Xinjiang and 40 at PLA-linked medical centers. AbbVie's footprint is smaller but still significant: more than 100 studies since 2007, with 17 sites in Xinjiang and 16 tied to military hospitals.

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Why Xinjiang Raises Red Flags

Xinjiang has become a flashpoint in global human rights debates. The US government and several Western parliaments have described Beijing's treatment of Uyghurs and other Muslim minorities in the region as genocide, a designation Beijing firmly rejects.

Lawmakers argue that running clinical trials in such an environment makes it nearly impossible to guarantee that patients gave free and informed consent — a basic pillar of ethical medical research. Independent researchers, including academic experts focused on Xinjiang, have separately raised concerns that obtaining genuine informed consent in the region is extremely difficult given the level of state control over residents' lives.

This is not the first time Congress has scrutinized the issue. As early as 2024, the same committee pressed the Food and Drug Administration over hundreds of clinical trials conducted at PLA-affiliated sites by various US pharmaceutical firms, citing similar fears about data integrity and technology transfer.

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A Booming, Loosely Regulated Industry

China has rapidly become one of the most attractive markets for early-stage drug testing. By 2024, China's share of global early drug development programs had grown to more than 32%, up from just 8% a decade earlier, while the US share slipped from 48% to roughly 37% over the same period.

Lower costs, faster recruitment, and a large patient population have driven this shift. Critics, however, say regulatory shortcuts and weaker ethical safeguards have made China an appealing — and ethically risky — destination for pharmaceutical research.

A December report from the National Security Commission on Emerging Biotechnology warned that China has built a "vertically integrated" biotech ecosystem capable of directly challenging US leadership in the field, underscoring why lawmakers see this as more than a routine compliance issue.

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Companies Respond, Beijing Pushes Back

Merck said patient safety and ethical standards remain central to its global research program and that it adheres to international guidelines. AbbVie declined to comment on the investigation.

A spokesperson for China's embassy in Washington dismissed the committee's claims as lacking credibility, accusing US lawmakers of politicizing trade and technology issues.

Notably, the committee's letters stop short of accusing either company of wrongdoing, stating explicitly that there is "no evidence" of illegal conduct. The concern, instead, centers on the structural risks created by operating in an environment with limited transparency and military-linked research partners.

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What Comes Next

Beyond the individual probes into Merck and AbbVie, Moolenaar is also pushing the Biotech Investment National Security Act, a bill that would subject US biotech licensing deals, joint ventures, and investments in China to mandatory national security review.

This builds on the Biosecure Act, signed into law by President Donald Trump in late 2025, which already restricts federal agencies from doing business with certain non-US biotechnology firms tied to security concerns. Together, these measures signal a broader effort in Washington to tighten oversight of the biotech supply chain and reduce US dependence on Chinese research infrastructure — a trend likely to intensify as the July 17 deadline approaches and more details emerge.

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Sources

1. Select Committee on the CCP – Official Press Release (FDA inquiry, 2024 background): https://selectcommitteeontheccp.house.gov/media/press-releases/moolenaar-lawmakers-uncover-evidence-us-pharmaceutical-companies-working
2. The Wire China – "How Big Pharma's China Trials Are Escaping Scrutiny": https://www.thewirechina.com/2026/04/12/how-big-pharmas-china-trials-are-escaping-scrutiny/
3. Axios – "Congress probes pharma work with Chinese military": https://www.axios.com/2024/08/21/congress-investigate-pharma-clinical-trials-chinese-military
4. FiercePharma – "Lawmakers urge FDA to investigate clinical trials run in tandem with China's military": https://www.fiercepharma.com/pharma/amid-biosecure-brouhaha-house-committee-urges-fda-investigate-clinical-trials-run-tandem

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