As Politicians Argue About China, US Patients Find Cutting-Edge Treatment There

A growing number of Americans with advanced cancer are traveling to China to obtain drugs and join trials unavailable or slow to reach the U.S., illustrated by 60-year-old Debbie Doppelt, whose son procured sunvozertinib from Shanghai when U.S. options and trial eligibility ran out. Sunvozertinib, approved in China in 2023 and later licensed by the FDA in July 2025, produced meaningful tumor control for Doppelt; her son flew to Shanghai with 26 boxes that cost roughly $10,000 and knows of at least 30 other Americans who did the same. His experience inspired an AI-based app that has helped about 300 lung cancer patients find trials and drug options, a sign patients and small startups are stepping in to navigate gaps in U.S. access while major firms like AstraZeneca move to distribute Chinese-developed drugs globally.

The broader trend reflects China’s rapid ascent as a biotech powerhouse - accounting for as much as 46% of new drugs tested worldwide in 2025 and leading in CAR-T work - driven by post-pandemic reforms, abundant venture capital, and faster early-stage trial pathways in China and Australia. That shift has prompted U.S. political and regulatory responses: Operation TrialBlazer to speed approvals, warnings from FDA leadership nominees about lost “health security,” and proposed legislation to screen U.S.-China pharma deals, while others argue collaboration advances global cancer cures. The FDA cautions patients about safety and quality risks when obtaining treatments outside U.S. oversight.