India, June 19 -- The U.S. Food and Drug Administration announced it has halted new clinical trials that involve sending living cells from American citizens to China and other hostile nations for genetic engineering, after which the cells are infused back into U.S. patients.
The FDA now said it will require companies to demonstrate full transparency, ethical consent, and domestic handling of sensitive biological materials. New trials that cannot meet these standards will not proceed.
The agency noted that the process of sending cells to foreign labs is being done sometimes without the knowledge or consent of the patients.
The FDA's decision follows clear evidence that some of these trials failed to inform participants about the internati...