GoKawiilDeaths in gene-editing trials spotlight China's fast-track IIT rules under Order 818
Two children reportedly died after receiving gene-editing treatments in separate investigator-initiated trials (IITs) in China, drawing scrutiny to the country's rapid trial pathway. The deaths surfaced just months after Beijing introduced Order 818, a rule effective May 1 that tightens oversight of IITs, including restricting stem-cell and gene therapy trials to top-tier sanjia hospitals.