In Shanghai, a six-year-old girl died during clinical trials of an experimental treatment using gene editing. This was reported by Bloomberg, citing an investigation by Retraction Watch.
In March 2025, a child with a genetic mutation underwent therapy at Xinhua Hospital. A few days later, the girl died from a severe immune reaction. The therapy was developed by neuroscientist Qiu Jilong, with the study supervised by physician Yongguo Yu. As a result of the incident, the hospital was fined $3,600. The girl’s parents, who had paid $860,000 for the treatment, were not offered any compensation.
According to the agency, the tragedy highlighted the issue of a lack of transparency in clinical trials in China. The number of such studies increased elevenfold between 2015 and 2023, reaching 1,000. In June, authorities tightened regulations on cellular and genetic research, limiting it to certain hospitals and banning the collection of fees from patients for participation in clinical trials.
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