China is rapidly catching up with the US on biotech capabilities, a survey found. US industry and academic leaders said that while America still had an advantage in talent, handing frontier research to industry, and getting it to market, China leads in manufacturing and clinical development, and the two are on par at scientific discovery.
The US was unambiguously the world’s biotech leader until a decade or so ago, but China has invested hugely, and Washington is alarmed: President Donald Trump signed a law last year restricting federal agencies’ dealings with foreign biotechnology firms, and US health officials announced moves on Monday to speed up drug research and “restore America’s leadership in clinical trials.”
