A U.S. House committee has opened an investigation into Merck and AbbVie over their China clinical trial practices, according to the latest report on the probe. The inquiry targets the use of trial sites in China, including facilities alleged to have links to the Chinese military. Separately, another item notes a House China panel inquiry into Bristol Myers Squibb and Pfizer over similar trial-site questions. Together, the actions signal heightened scrutiny of where and how pivotal and late-stage studies are conducted as regulators and lawmakers push for clearer data integrity and ethical compliance standards. For biotech and pharma, the immediate risk is regulatory and litigation exposure tied to trial conduct allegations, plus potential delays if sponsors are forced to reexamine datasets, informed-consent documentation, and site qualification processes in challenged geographies.