US must strengthen its biotech sector to stay ahead of China, authors argue

Gary Locke and Patrick McHenry, former U.S. officials and senior advisers to the American Biosecurity Initiative, argue that the United States must invest in its own biotech capabilities to preserve its global lead.

They note that China has just released a five-year plan that designates biomedicine as a national pillar industry, with a goal of delivering a quarter of the world’s first-in-class drugs by 2030.

While the U.S. still leads in biotech overall, it currently produces first-in-class medicines at roughly seven times the rate of China, and the authors say Washington is focused more on containing China than on bolstering domestic innovation.

The opinion piece calls for four specific actions to build domestic capacity, emphasizing that a stronger U.S. biotech sector is essential for national security and economic competitiveness.