Bipartisan House bill would require security review of U.S. biotech investments in China

A bipartisan group of Representatives introduced legislation on Tuesday that would expand the Committee on Investment and National Security (COINS) Act to cover biotechnology.

The bill, called the Biotech Investment National Security Act, would subject U.S. licensing deals, joint ventures and equity investments in Chinese biotech firms to review by the Treasury and Defense Departments.

Lawmakers said the measure targets transactions involving technology and intellectual property, while leaving out agricultural biotech, industrial fermentation and basic academic research.

The proposal follows two recent pharma agreements-one by Pfizer and another by Bristol Myers-each reportedly worth more than $10 billion, and reflects U.S. concerns that China’s growing drug-development capabilities could pose national-security risks.

Industry data show cross-border licensing activity in the sector reached $136 billion, underscoring the scale of the market the bill aims to monitor.