STAT+: A prominent VC explains why she’s against U.S. restrictions on investment in China’s drug industry

STAT PlusBiotech A prominent VC explains why she’s against U.S. restrictions on investment in China’s drug industry Canaan’s Julie Grant weighs in on a growing debate, and about the state of biotech broadly Manage alerts for this article Email this article Share this article By Allison DeAngelisJune 17, 2026 Biotech Startups and Venture Capital Reporter Allison DeAngelis[email protected]Allison covers what hot startups are getting up to, and who’s financing them. She is also co-host of the weekly biotech podcast, “The Readout Loud.” You can reach Allison on Signal at AllisonDeAngelis.01. Should the federal government try to slow — or even block — U.S. biotech deals that could benefit China? The question of what, if anything, the U.S. should do about the growing strength of the Chinese biotech industry has reached a new intensity in recent months. A handful of legislators are pushing to add biotechnology to the list of industries covered by the COINS Act, which allows the U.S. government to restrict investments in certain cases. That would enable federal scrutiny of licensing deals, equity investments, and other arrangements that are becoming evermore prevalent in the biotech industry. Advertisement Venture capitalist Julie Grant feels that would be shortsighted, a misguided effort to try to turn back time on an interdependency between U.S. and Chinese industries that’s been growing for decades. Even if it were feasible to cut off American companies’ reliance on Chinese research organizations and drug developers, she believes doing so would actually hamper U.S. drug development and hurt patients. STAT+ Exclusive Story Already have an account? Log in This article is exclusive to STAT+ subscribers Unlock this article — plus daily coverage and analysis of the biotech sector — by subscribing to STAT+. Already have an account? Log in Monthly $39 Totals $468 per year $39/month Get Started Totals $468 per year Starter $30 for 3 months, then $399/year $30 for 3 months Get Started Then $399/year Annual $399 Save 15% $399/year Get Started Save 15% 11+ Users Custom Savings start at 25%! Request A Quote Request A Quote Savings start at 25%! 2-10 Users $300 Annually per user $300/year Get Started $300 Annually per user View All Plans To read the rest of this story subscribe to STAT+. Subscribe Log In biotechnology, drug development, Pharmaceuticals, STAT+ Submit a correction requestReprints Allison DeAngelis Biotech Startups and Venture Capital Reporter Allison covers what hot startups are getting up to, and who’s financing them. She is also co-host of the weekly biotech podcast, “The Readout Loud.” You can reach Allison on Signal at AllisonDeAngelis.01. Newsletter Understand how science, health policy, and medicine shape the world every day Recommended The Readout June 16, 2026 STAT Plus: ARCH-launched Neumora stops depression program Biotech June 16, 2026 STAT Plus: Verge Labs’ new AI model solves patient stratification problems for neurology clinical trials Advertisement Politics June 15, 2026 STAT Plus: Trump’s obesity drug plan creates a temporary Medicare program that may be hard to end Health June 15, 2026 Covid vaccination cut risk of adverse heart events, large study finds The Readout June 15, 2026 STAT Plus: Lilly’s Ajax acquisition may have been worth it Subscriber Picks