"It seems as if we are still a long way away from commercial production unless the trips to China and the middle east don't hinge upon FDA approvals."

If any part of this, or something like it, were true, they'd either be foolish to hire in advance of an agreement, or they already know what's coming and are staffing for it in anticipation of an announcement. Of course, they could just be replacing the one analytical chemist on staff that they need to produce product for the trial. As always, guessing and hoping, a very weak set of attributes to describe this "investment".