Protecting Americans from Medicine

Max Doppelt's mother battled lung cancer that had spread to her brain in January 2025. The most effective medication for her condition was approved in China but unavailable in the United States. A physician noted that if her mother were Chinese, she could purchase the drug at a pharmacy. Consequently, Max flew to Shanghai in 2023, returning with 26 boxes of the medication.

Her mother has been alive, functional, and thriving for the past 19 months. The FDA approved the drug in July 2025, yet it remains inaccessible in the U.S. Max is aware of at least 30 Americans who have undertaken the same journey. He hesitated to share this account due to concerns it might impede his mother's access to the life-saving medication.

However, the issue warrants more attention than his silence. The development and availability of such drugs necessitate FDA reform. A KFF Health article covers Max's narrative and adds that Representative John Moolenaar (R-Mich.), who chairs the House Select Committee on the Chinese Communist Party, co-sponsored legislation with Representative Debbie Dingell (D-Mich.) in June.

The legislation mandates all U.S. pharmaceutical dealings with Chinese entities to be cleared by the Treasury Department. This means a son traveled to Shanghai to procure pharmaceuticals to prolong his mother's life, while the House Select Committee on the Chinese Communist Party seeks a Treasury lawyer monitoring the baggage claim.