Senate HELP Committee Hearing Highlights Urgency of U.S. Leadership in Biotechnology Amid Rising Competition from China

The urgency for the U.S. to maintain its leadership in biotechnology – especially in competition with China – is growing. This issue came into sharp focus during recent discussions between lawmakers and industry experts at a Senate HELP Committee hearing. 

“I recently spoke to a group of biotech leaders,” Sen. Bill Cassidy (R-LA) said. “They, in varying degrees, view China as a collaborator, a competitor and as a threat. When developers are looking outside our country for early-stage clinical work, we need to pick up our game. This is important for the American biomedical industry.” 

Building on this concern, stakeholders examined the challenges and opportunities facing the U.S. biotech sector, particularly in sustaining a competitive edge over China, from regulatory hurdles and funding needs to breakthroughs in innovation.  

They emphasized the importance of providing support for small biotech companies and protecting intellectual property as key strategies to maintain U.S. leadership and dominate the biotech race ahead of China. 

Here are some key takeaways from last week’s hearing: 

Lowell Schiller, JD, urged modernizing FDA processes, including onshoring, to make reviews more efficient and predictable, essential, bolstering America’s global competitiveness.  

John F. Crowley, JD, MBA, emphasized that biotechnology is vital for public health, economic growth and national security. He warned that China is rapidly catching up and called for strengthening the FDA as the global gold standard through improved communication with innovators and structural reforms. 

Sen. Andy Kim (D-NJ) asked which country leads in biotechnology; Crowley said that although the U.S. remains the leader, it faces a rapidly growing threat from China. 

Sen. Tammy Baldwin (D-WI) asked about funding biotech across states. Crowley emphasized that sustained investment is crucial to drive innovation, warning alongside Baldwin that China’s strategic push could overtake the U.S. and threaten public health and national security. 

“I don’t care where my kids’ or grandkids’ toys are made” Crowley said. “I really care where our medicines are made.” 

As the hearing underscored, maintaining U.S. leadership in biotechnology will require a coordinated effort across government, industry and regulators to innovate, invest and safeguard our competitive edge in the face of rising global competition.