Pharma, medtech companies enjoy fruitful CIIE outing

The ongoing China International Import Expo has witnessed several multinational pharmaceutical companies signing collaboration agreements with local healthcare authorities, medical intuitions and businesses to play up their respective advantages and contribute more to the building of the country's innovative healthcare ecosystem.

Danish biopharmaceutical company Novo Nordisk and the administration of Hainan Bo'ao Lecheng International Medical Tourism Pilot Zone on Saturday signed a memorandum of understanding to establish a strategic collaboration.

Leveraging the advantageous policies focused on improving access to innovative treatments through local pilots in the pilot zone, the two sides will deepen cooperation in piloting innovative medicines and devices and collaborate on chronic care management to expedite the introduction of Novo Nordisk's latest breakthroughs in treatments for chronic diseases.

The partnership will allow Chinese patients with chronic diseases to benefit from the latest therapies without having to travel abroad, said the company.

"The partnership will further expand our ecosystem of treating diabetes, obesity and other chronic diseases and introduce new ways to accelerate the introduction of innovative medicines," said Christine Zhou, senior vice president of Novo Nordisk Pharmaceuticals Co Ltd and president of Novo Nordisk China.

Novo Nordisk has also announced that it will partner the Chinese Cardiovascular Association to build the Cardiometabolic Academy, which is aimed at raising awareness of cardiometabolic disease management through academic exchange programs.

Both parties will work closely to adopt a multidisciplinary approach to explore a patient-centric standardized diagnosis and treatment model for cardiometabolic diseases in the country. The program is expected to involve around 4,000 doctors from about 300 hospitals.

Meanwhile, medical technology company Medtronic has reached strategic cooperation intents worth over 100 million yuan ($15.6 million) with eight hospitals across the country. The cooperation involves the company's MAZOR X robotic guided solution, an innovative platform for spinal surgeries that was also exhibited at last year's CIIE.

The company said that MAZOR X received approval for use in China in April due to the expo's "spillover effect". The signing of the cooperation intention, it added, will promote the further application and popularization of the device, and allow the company to contribute to the high-quality development of the orthopedics sector.

GlaxoSmithKline has also signed a memorandum of cooperation with Baidu Health to develop a digital model for disease education and prevention. The two parties will work together to provide health services and explore innovative methods to carry out disease knowledge popularization and improve prevention concepts.

The two sides said they will begin their collaboration by raising the awareness of herpes zoster among middle-aged and elderly population.

GSK is using the ongoing expo to highlight its Hepatitis B, HPV, and herpes zoster vaccines. Peggy Fung, vice president and business unit head of vaccines for GSK China, said, "After they were exhibited during the 2019 CIIE, the herpes zoster vaccine obtained market approval the following year. Today, residents in nearly 250 cities across the country can make reservations to get the vaccination."