Texas lawmaker warns Chinese biotech firms gaining early-stage advantage over U.S. industry

Rep. Nathaniel Moran, a Republican from Texas and member of the House Select Committee on China, told Fierce that the United States is overlooking how Chinese biotech companies are outpacing American firms at the start of the drug development pipeline.

He argued that while U.S. officials often focus on the number of clinical trials taking place in China, the real strategic edge comes from early-stage activities such as discovery and manufacturing that give Chinese firms control over later drug outputs important to American patients.

Moran said the committee's mandate is to assess the threat posed by the Chinese Communist Party and develop actions to protect the American economy, and he believes more attention should be paid to the "ground game" of biotech innovation rather than just end-point outcomes.