The House Select Committee on China, led by Chairman John Moolenaar, has launched an investigation into Eli Lilly's clinical trials conducted at Chinese military hospitals and in Xinjiang. Public records show at least 16 trials at PRC military medical centers and 11 trials in Xinjiang, raising…
Chairman John Moolenaar of the House Select Committee on China SCC has sent a formal letter to Eli Lilly and Company Chief Executive Officer David Ricks. The letter demands that the pharmaceutical company provide additional details about its clinical drug trials conducted within China. Publicly available information on ClinicalTrials.Gov already shows that Eli Lilly has developed drugs through clinical trials at Chinese military hospitals and in Xinjiang, a region where the Chinese Communist Party CCP is accused of committing genocide against Uyghur Muslims and other minority groups.
Moolenaar has been raising concerns about this issue since his first year as Select Committee Chairman. In August 2024, he sent a letter to the FDA on the same topic. The current investigation focuses on at least 11 trials that included hospitals in Xinjiang, with several of those trials still ongoing as of the date of the letter. Additionally, at least 16 trials were conducted at People's Republic of China PRC military medical centers and hospitals. Some of the drugs being developed in these experiments include treatments for Type 2 diabetes and heart disease.
In his letter, Moolenaar wrote: "Lilly's clinical trials held at PRC military hospitals raise significant questions related to how data developed through clinical trials at those hospitals could fuel the CCP's military biotechnology research, experimentation, and capability development. While there is no evidence that Lilly has engaged in illegal activity or wrongdoing, conducting clinical trials in China, and in Xinjiang and PRC military hospitals more specifically, exposes American companies to ethical and security risks. Some of these risks even the most robust due diligence may not be sufficient to mitigate."
The letter concludes by asking Lilly to provide the Select Committee with specific information. This includes company policies, regulations, strategies, or other guidance documents that outline Lilly's Good Clinical Practice standards for clinical trials, especially those conducted in China, at PRC military hospitals, or in Xinjiang. The committee also requests data on the number of clinical trials Lilly has conducted in China at PRC military hospitals or in Xinjiang since 2015. Furthermore, Moolenaar seeks information about Lilly's due diligence processes to ensure the protection of intellectual property and sensitive data at clinical trial and manufacturing sites in China, particularly at PRC military hospitals or in Xinjiang. Finally, the committee demands details of all Lilly licensing, equity, or joint venture deals with Chinese biotechnology companies since 2020.
China's clinical trial system relies on rapid patient enrollment, which is three to five times faster than in the United States. This speed is due, in part, to a lack of ethical safeguards regarding informed consent and voluntary participation. The system's efficiency raises questions about the protection of trial participants' rights.
In Xinjiang, widespread reports of forced labor, forced medical testing, organ harvesting, and procedures performed on Uyghurs and other minority populations have raised serious ethical concerns. Given these chilling violations of basic human rights in Xinjiang, it is reasonable to question whether clinical trial subjects there are participating voluntarily. Operating in this region demands heightened due diligence by Lilly to ensure the company is not unwittingly profiting off a system that is failing to protect the rights of participants.
Moolenaar's investigation highlights the dual nature of the risks involved. Beyond ethical concerns about participant consent and human rights, there are significant national security implications. Clinical trial data developed at PRC military hospitals could potentially be used to fuel the CCP's military biotechnology research, experimentation, and capability development. This raises questions about how data developed through such trials might be exploited.
The Select Committee on China is focused on understanding the extent of Lilly's involvement and the measures in place to safeguard sensitive information. The committee's scrutiny reflects broader concerns about American companies engaging with Chinese military institutions and operating in regions with documented human rights abuses.
In response to these concerns, the Trump Administration recently announced that the Food and Drug Administration is developing a pilot program for Phase 1 clinical trials. This program could cut the drug development and approval process in the United States by six to 12 months. The initiative is intended to counter China's advantages in clinical trial speed and to boost America's biotech companies.
Additionally, in May 2026, Chairman Moolenaar advanced language in the 2027 Department of Agriculture funding bill. This language would prohibit the FDA from accepting, reviewing, or considering any covered clinical data generated by a clinical investigation site in China. If enacted, this provision could significantly impact pharmaceutical companies like Lilly that rely on Chinese clinical trial data for drug approvals.
The full text of Moolenaar's letter is available online for public review. The Select Committee on China continues to investigate the broader implications of American pharmaceutical companies conducting clinical trials in China, particularly at military-affiliated sites and in regions with documented human rights abuses.
Peptides referenced: GLP-1.
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