Food and Drug Administration Commissioner Marty Makary warned that the U.S. is falling behind China in early-stage drug development and called for reforms that could streamline the process for starting trials on new treatments. 

In an interview with CNBC on Wednesday, Makary specifically pointed to three bottlenecks that he said cause the U.S. to fall behind on those early drug trials. 

These include hospital contracting as well as ethical reviews and approvals, both of which he called “clunky processes that take too long and are leaving us noncompetitive with the countries that are moving a lot faster.” He also pointed to the process for submitting and receiving approvals for Investigational New Drug, or IND, applications, which companies submit to test a product in humans. 

“We walked into a mess,” Makary said, referring to how behind China the U.S. was in terms of Phase 1 clinical trials conducted in 2024. 

He said the FDA is “looking at everything,” such as whether it can partner with health systems and academic medical centers on the pre-IND process. That refers to when companies consult the FDA before formally filing an application. 

Makary said the Trump administration should “partner with industry to help them deliver more cures and meaningful treatments for the American public because that is a common bipartisan goal that we all want. And we’re going to get it done in this administration.”

China’s biotech ecosystem has flourished over the last several years, driven by massive state investment, a vast talent pool and accelerated regulatory reforms. Once known for being a low-cost manufacturing base that pumps out copycats, China is rapidly evolving into a global innovation powerhouse. 

Data from Global Data and Morgan Stanley shows that China now conducts more clinical trials than the U.S., accounts for nearly a third of new global drug approvals and is on pace to reach 35% of FDA approvals by 2040. 

U.S. policymakers have been under pressure to take steps to boost innovation domestically. 

The Seattle Seahawks are officially up for sale.

The NFL team, which defeated the New England Patriots in the 2026 Super Bowl earlier this month, announced on Wednesday that it has begun a process through which it could sell the franchise. The process, led by investment bank Allen & Co. and law firm Latham & Watkins, is expected to continue through the 2026 offseason.

The Seahawks franchise is owned by the estate of Paul Allen, the Microsoft co-founder who helmed the Seahawks from 1997 until his death in 2018. His sister, Jody Allen, became executor of his estate after his death and took over the leadership of the franchise, overseeing the sale of his assets and donations to charity.

“The Estate of Paul G. Allen today announced it has commenced a formal sale process for the Seattle Seahawks NFL franchise, consistent with Allen’s directive to eventually sell his sports holdings and direct all Estate proceeds to philanthropy,” the franchise wrote on social media.

Prior to the Seahawks’ most recent Super Bowl win, the Seattle team was valued at roughly $7 billion, according to CNBC’s official NFL valuations. In that range, the sale has the potential to become one of the biggest in NFL history, after the Washington Commanders sold for roughly $6 billion in 2023.

A sale would be finalized after NFL owners ratify a purchase agreement, according to the Seahawks.