The US biotech industry is divided on collaborating with Chinese firms. A significant group feels trapped in a prisoner's dilemma: they would prefer if everyone stopped working with Chinese companies, but feel forced to engage because if their competitors do, they'll be at a significant disadvantage by opting out.
While AI promises to revolutionize biotech, Retro Biosciences' CEO points out a fundamental, un-accelerable constraint: the time it takes to breed genetically modified animals for research. This biological reality, which can take over a year, is a major reason why even AI-enabled companies still face long timelines to reach clinical trials.
The US biotech industry's fixation on the "China threat" is largely a reaction to losing its undisputed global leadership position. Having never faced such potent competition, the industry is unsettled. The fact that the competitor is China, a geopolitical rival, amplifies this underlying anxiety about being dethroned.
Eli Lilly's retitrutide achieved a staggering 28% weight loss, rivaling surgery. However, its commercial viability is questionable due to a high discontinuation rate—11% of patients on the highest dose stopped due to side effects. This tolerability issue may relegate the powerful drug to a niche, severe-obesity market.
David Kessler, a long-time FDA commissioner, expressed optimism about acting commissioner Kyle Diamantis. He believes Diamantis can bring much-needed stability to the agency, echoing sentiments from biotech insiders who praise his competent, no-nonsense leadership style from his time running the FDA's food division.
Facing intense IP risks from Chinese companies, BridgeBio CEO Neil Kumar stated his company may publish incorrect molecular structures in scientific posters or publications. This extreme measure is designed to mislead competitors who can rapidly replicate research, but it raises serious ethical questions about scientific integrity.
Longevity company CEO Joe Betts-Lacroix reveals a disconnect between the FDA's stated goal of reducing animal models and its actual requirements. He states that in his company's interactions, the FDA has requested even more extensive animal studies, suggesting the move away from traditional preclinical testing is more rhetoric than reality.