The Hong Kong Centre for Medical Products Regulation is set to be established this year as the city moves toward becoming an international health and medical innovation hub, says Chief Executive John Lee Ka-chiu.
His remarks were given during the two-day Asia Summit on Global Health, which saw more than 90 officials and experts from 15 countries and regions taking part.
The summit, which runs until Tuesday, is one of the flagship events of the International Healthcare Week organized by the Hong Kong Trade Development Council.
Lee announced that an independent drug and device approval mechanism will be created to enhance CMPR’s credibility.
He highlighted that the new “1+” mechanism now allows drug registration in Hong Kong after approval from just one recognized reference authority, expediting patient access to life-saving therapies.
HKTDC chairman Frederick Ma Si-hang said the growing participation of mainland pharmaceutical enterprises has proved Hong Kong’s role as a strategic springboard to global markets.
In his speech, Ma noted that the city will continue to serve as a “super-connector” and “super value-adder,” aiming to promote international healthcare collaboration.
Michael Levitt, Nobel laureate in chemistry, was invited to share his insights at the summit.
Levitt said he believes Hong Kong is well-positioned for collaboration, as it connects East and West, has strong healthcare, and can help improve healthcare in the mainland.
He also said Asia’s large populations and growing interest in science make the region important for healthcare scale-up and collaboration.
Asked about the relationship between physics-based computation and artificial intelligence in life science, Levitt said he expects them to work together. He said AI will increasingly need to learn and apply physics, since understanding physical rules is essential, not just recognizing patterns in data.
Meanwhile, some 300 exhibitors from 10 countries and regions are convening to showcase their latest innovations at another flagship event: the three-day Hong Kong International Medical and Healthcare Fair, which runs until Wednesday.
Liu Yuchen, representing Shanghai Industrial Investment (Holdings), highlighted the company’s long-standing presence in Hong Kong since its registration in 1981. She noted the group’s focus on biopharmaceuticals and environmental water services, adding that Hong Kong offers unique advantages in branding and standardizing traditional Chinese medicine, which can help drive its international reach.
Guizhou Bailing Group Pharmaceutical also presented at the fair, spotlighting its flagship product, Yingdan Xinnaotong soft capsules.
The medicine, aimed at patients with cardiovascular disease and lipid disorders, has already gained traction in Central and Southeast Asia, including Turkmenistan and Singapore.
The company is now seeking registration in Hong Kong and Macau, with hopes of making the product available locally soon.
(Updated at 6.13pm)
