A bipartisan group of United States lawmakers has opened national security investigations into whether five major pharmaceutical companies, including Merck and AbbVie, were involved in clinical trials conducted in China that may have supported the country’s military capabilities, according to a Reuters report.
The inquiry, led by Republican Representative John Moolenaar of Michigan, chair of the House Select Committee on China, focuses on whether the drugmakers conducted adequate due diligence and maintained sufficient data protection standards at trial sites in China.
In letters dated Monday and first reported by Reuters on Tuesday, lawmakers requested detailed information from Merck & Co Inc (NYSE:MRK, XETRA:6MK) and Abbvie Inc (NYSE:ABBV) by July 17, including documentation on research practices, safeguards, and oversight mechanisms.
The scrutiny also extends to Eli Lilly and Co (NYSE:LLY), Pfizer Inc (NYSE:PFE, XETRA:PFE), and Bristol-Myers Squibb Co (NYSE:BMY, XETRA:RM, OTC:BMYMP), which received similar requests from the committee.
Lawmakers specifically asked for information related to clinical trial locations in China, including sites in the Xinjiang region and military-affiliated hospitals, and raised broader concerns about whether sensitive biomedical data could be accessed or repurposed in ways that pose national security risks.
Merck stated that patient safety and ethical integrity are central to its clinical research operations and said it adheres to global regulatory standards governing clinical trials. AbbVie declined to comment. Pfizer confirmed receipt of the letter but did not provide further comment. Bristol Myers Squibb and Eli Lilly did not immediately respond to requests for comment, according to the Reuters report.
The Chinese embassy in Washington rejected the premise of the investigation, saying in an email that there is “nothing credible” in the committee’s actions and reiterating opposition to what it described as efforts to politicize trade and technology issues.
The developments add to growing US-China tensions over scientific collaboration, particularly in sectors involving sensitive data and dual-use technologies, where commercial research may intersect with national security concerns.
The companies’ shares initially moved lower following the news, but were little changed by the early afternoon.