Big Take Asia China Tests the Limits in the Race for Biotech Power
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Nov 18, 2025 Karoline Kan, an Asia health reporter for Bloomberg specializing in biotechnology, and Andy Greenfield, a geneticist at the University of Oxford, dive into China's aggressive push to dominate the biotech industry. They discuss the ethical dilemmas of using gene-edited animals in drug development, highlighting China's rapid advancements and controversial practices. Greenfield shares his personal journey with ALS, emphasizing the urgency of scientific breakthroughs, while examining the effectiveness and moral implications of animal research in the quest for new therapies.
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China Uses Big Animals To Leapfrog Drug R&D
- China prioritizes gene-edited large animals to accelerate drug discovery and replicate human diseases more effectively than rodents.
- This strategy aims to move China from generics to high-value patented drugs and global biotech leadership.
Pig Model Produced A Viable ALS Therapy
- Professor Jia Yichang edited a pig to model ALS after mouse models failed to show symptoms.
- The gene-edited pig developed ALS-like symptoms and enabled a drug candidate, Snug01, to advance to human trials.
When Bigger Animals Are Scientifically Necessary
- Large animal models matter when rodent lifespans or brain complexity can't mimic human disease progression.
- Neurological disorders often require bigger brains and longer-lived models to capture human-like development.