Episode summary
How to Stop China From Leapfrogging the US in Biotech | Bloomberg Businessweek
Bloomberg Businessweek Daily
· · 8 min · Hosts: Carol Massar, Tim Stenovec · Guests: Robert Blum
Summary
Robert Blum argues that the U.S. is at risk of losing its lead in biotech because the ecosystem that helped companies like Cytokinetics grow is weakening. He says the problem is bigger than one administration: it starts with reduced support for academic science, then affects supply chains, clinical trials, and eventually the ability to deliver medicines to patients. He frames biotech as a strategic industry that needs a clear national commitment, similar to the way the U.S. has approached semiconductors and critical minerals.
Blum says the company he launched in 1998 would be harder to build today because science funding, trust in research, and alignment between public and private sectors have become less reliable. He points to China’s deliberate industrial policy as a competitive threat and says the U.S. should restore confidence in science so early-career researchers want to stay and innovate here. He also says biotech should be treated as a national priority without resorting to protectionism.
Using Cytokinetics as an example, Blum notes the company spent 28 years and billions of dollars before launching its first commercial medicine this year for obstructive hypertrophic cardiopathy. He argues that patient outcomes, shareholder returns, and national competitiveness can all be served if government and industry align around science and medicine.
Key takeaways
- Blum says the U.S. is losing biotech advantage because it lacks an industrial policy commitment to science and medicine.
- He argues the challenge is structural, spanning academic funding, supply chains, clinical trials, and drug access.
- Blum says China’s deliberate strategy is creating a competitive edge the U.S. should mimic in biotech.
- He cites Cytokinetics as proof that biotech can take 20 to 30 years and billions in losses before producing a commercial winner.
- Blum wants public and private sectors aligned around a national biotech priority, not protectionism.
Notable quotes
“I do believe that companies like cytokinetics would be far more difficult to build today”
“we don't have an industrial policy a nationwide commitment to science medicine and the pursuit of the kinds of things that cytokinetics does so well”
“there's a natural competitive advantage that is beginning to be seated to China”
“It starts with commoditization of pharmaceutical ingredients, moves to supply chains, then to clinical trials and ultimately to medicines for patients”
How the episode opens
Bloomberg Audio Studios podcasts radio news.
You're listening to Bloomberg Business Week with Carol Masser and Tim Stenc on Bloomberg Radio. All right, so we just want to mention something that Bloomberg reported out back in May on how China is restricting overseas travel for top AI professionals and private firms such as Alibaba and Deepseek, suggesting an escalation in measures intended to safeguard its technology and catch up to the US in a pivotal sphere. We should point out that Beijing for years has imposed travel restrictions on key personnel from prominent college researchers to nuclear scientists and executives at state firms.
Okay. At the same time, yes, few things catching our attention. Apart from that, uh, a report about a Nobel chemist leaving the US to direct an AI materials lab in China. And then, Carol, an op-ed piece about how to stop China from leaprogging the US when it comes to biotech.
That was in the Washington Post. It actually caught the attention as well of our next guest. Robert Bloom Blum, excuse me, is with us. He's president and CEO of the nearly 11 billion market cap clinical stage bioarma and biotech company. It is Cytokinetics. He launched this company back in 1998. Stock, by the way, uh up about 27% year to date. Uh he joins us in studio. Welcome. Welcome.
Thank you. Thanks for having me. — Um you know, if I can share before we got going when I said you've been there at the company long and you reminded us that you launched the company, but you don't necessarily you like to credit the research team that founded your company. Research is at the heart of so much in your industry. Tell us about what concerns you right now.
From the episode’s captions: roughly the first two minutes, lightly cleaned. Keep watching on YouTube →
Topics
- us biotech funding
- china biotech competition
- biopharmaceutical innovation
- research science policy
- national security healthcare
Companies and tickers mentioned
- CYTK
- Cytokinetics
Watch the episode
Watch “How to Stop China From Leapfrogging the US in Biotech | Bloomberg Businessweek” on YouTube
Summary, takeaways and quote selection by Octagon. Quotes are short excerpts; the full conversation is in the episode.
More from Bloomberg Businessweek Daily
-
Bloomberg Businessweek Weekend - November 13th, 2026 | Bloomberg Businessweek -
Inside Jensen Huang’s Final Hours as Nvidia CEO | Bloomberg Businessweek -
Jensen Huang's Exit Kicks Off Nvidia Strategy Reset | Bloomberg Businessweek -
Special Episode: Bobby Jain on Why He Chose Millennium Again | Bloomberg Businessweek -
Bloomberg Businessweek Daily Podcast: Jensen’s Nvidia Departure -
Take-Two Releasing Long-Awaited Grand Theft Auto VI Next Week | Bloomberg Businessweek
Bloomberg Businessweek Daily, this episode and its artwork belong to Bloomberg. Octagon is not affiliated with the show; this page is an independent summary.
