Speech by Secretary for Health at Biopharmaceutical Session of Global Bay Area Economic Forum 2025 (English just) (with picture)
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Following is the speech by the Secretary for Health, Professor Lo Chung-mau, at the Biopharmaceutical Session of the Global Bay Area Economic Forum 2025 today (November 3):
Differentiated visitors, girls and gentlemen,
Excellent afternoon. It is my honour to join you at the Biopharmaceutical Session of Global Bay Area Economic Forum 2025. On behalf of the Health Bureau of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) Government, I extend my thanks to Our Hong Kong Foundation, the Guangzhou Institute of the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area, and the Macao Foundation for assembling this significant discussion.
In a period of intricate international characteristics, the lively financial Global Bay Area clusters act as engines of development and development. Today, I will articulate the function and outlook of Hong Kong, not simply as an individual, however as a vital “super connector” within the biomedical development environment of the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area (GBA).
Simply 2 years earlier, in late 2023, the HKSAR Government articulated a clear and enthusiastic vision to establish Hong Kong into a global health and medical development center. This was a tactical important, supported by our country’s 14th Five-Year Plan. This vision lines up completely with the choices of the Third Plenary Session of the 20th CPC Central Committee, which stressed deepening health care reform and developing robust systems to support ingenious drugs and medical gadgets. The HKSAR is distinctively placed to advance these nationwide top priorities, with our intrinsic strengths such as our global connection, guideline of law, top quality and effective health care systems, robust information stability, world-leading monetary centre, and life-science research study backed by 2 of the world’s leading medical schools.
We are methodically changing that vision into concrete truth in the GBA. A first-rate biomedical development center needs a first-rate regulative program. We started a landmark reform towards main assessment for medical items. Our primary step was the launch of the “1+” system in November 2023, which permits brand-new drugs supported by regional medical information, to be signed up in Hong Kong with approval from simply one referral regulative authority, rather of 2. Today, we have actually currently authorized 15 brand-new drugs under this system, with 7 of them being noted on the Hospital Authority (HA) Drug Formulary, bringing genuine advantages to clients.
In June this year, we revealed a roadmap to develop the Hong Kong Centre for Medical Products Regulation next year, with a view to developing the centre as a globally identified regulative authority for medical items. we will begin carrying out “primary evaluation” for brand-new drug registration in stages. To even more speed up client access to the most innovative treatments, we will likewise pilot a top priority examination and approval of ingenious drugs suggested by the HA for treatment of medically immediate, extreme or unusual illness. The HA is developing a devoted Office for Introducing Innovative Drugs and Medical Devices. It will proactively assist in the entry of ingenious, affordable treatments into Hong Kong, guaranteeing our clients are amongst the very first to gain from international advancements.
The Greater Bay Area International Clinical Trial Institute (GBAICTI), which we imagined in 2023, is now completely functional in the Hetao Shenzhen-Hong Kong Science and Technology Innovation Co-operation Zone. Running under the ingenious “one zone, two parks” design with our Shenzhen equivalents, BAY TRIAL (Greater Bay Area International Clinical Trials Center) in Shenzhen park, the GBAICTI integrates Hong Kong’s first-rate scientific requirements, information stability, and global acknowledgment with the huge client population and varied illness profile in the GBA.
In May this year, the GBAICTI began a collaboration with the medical professors of the University of Hong Kong (HKU) and the Chinese University of Hong Kong to offer thorough assistance for over 70 brand-new medical trial tasks in the coming year. This will efficiently combine Hong Kong’s first-rate research study abilities into a merged force.
At the very same time, we develop partnership throughout the border. In July, the GBAICTI signed an essential MOU with its Shenzhen equivalent, the GBA International Clinical Trials Center, or BAY TRIAL, and developed a combined GBA Clinical Trial Collaboration Platform. This platform simplifies matching services through expert system, supplies a one-stop platform for applications, procedure approval and execution; and constructs shared skill swimming pools. This collaboration has actually currently yielded its very first significant task, a cross-border Phase II scientific trial for ICVAX, a restorative HIV vaccine co-developed by ImmunoCure and the AIDS Institute of HKU.
The Real-World Study and Application Centre is set to release by the end of this year. Its core function is to methodically harness the top quality and extensive real-world information from Hong Kong’s public health care system, which covers over 11 million client records.
The Centre will offer robust real-world proof to support several functions, such as to speed up the advancement, regulative approval, and market gain access to of ingenious medical items, especially through information combination throughout the GBA. An essential part of this technique is the facility of a merged GBA Real-World Data Platform, which will standardise and link medical information from both sides of the border, developing a smooth information environment.
Ladies and gentlemen, the biomedical development landscape is quickly progressing, therefore are we. Over the previous 2 years, we have actually methodically changed vision into facilities, facilities into ability, and ability into concrete outcomes – 15 brand-new drugs authorized, over 70 scientific trials in the pipeline, and a regulative body all set to serve the area and the world. Our aspiration extends beyond our coasts. We picture Hong Kong as the nexus where Eastern and Western medical development assemble.
For global business, we provide a relied on entrance: carry out trials here under worldwide accepted requirements with clients hired from the 86 million population in the GBA. Our legal structure, copyright defense, and capital movement offer the self-confidence required for vibrant financial investment. For our country’s growing biotech sector, we offer the springboard to the world: utilize our community to perform worldwide multicentre trials, gain access to international capital markets, and utilize Hong Kong registration as your passport to worldwide markets.
Hong Kong will continue to reinforce its function as the exceptional “super connector” in the international biomedical landscape, developing a much healthier future for the area and the world. The Government’s excellent efforts require the assistance of the neighborhood. The Legislative Council (LegCo) election day, the crucial day, will be on December 7 this year. We will be choosing an extremely qualified and helpful LegCo for the brand-new term. And ideally, the brand-new LegCo will deal with the Government together and with all the stakeholders here to drive Hong Kong into a worldwide health and medical development center. Thank you a lot and I want you a terrific afternoon. Thank you.