On September 29th, the Biomedical and Health Forum was held at the 5th NEXT Summit (Singapore 2021). Li Dan, Executive Member of the Council of NEXT Federation and Secretary-General of the New Zealand Biomedical Expert Committee, presided over the forum.
The biomedical industry, characterized by high risks, high investments, advanced technology, and long cycles, carries enormous economic and social benefits. The global biomedical industry is undergoing transformation, especially with the urgent need for transformation post the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic to meet the demand for more precise and personalized health services.
Liu Zhefeng, Deputy Director General of the Hainan Boao Lecheng International Medical Tourism Pilot Zone Administration Bureau, stated that as a world-class open port, the Hainan Free Trade Port has received significant support from the government, particularly in the field of healthcare. Lecheng has become a medical special zone, possessing leading medical drugs, technologies, and equipment nationwide. The franchise operation has maintained the rights of foreign-controlled hospitals, creating a favorable environment for research activities in the biomedical field. In addition, international medical exchange is a major advantage of the Hainan Free Trade Port. The port can be fully benchmarked against countries such as Hong Kong, Singapore, and Dubai. Currently, dozens of large shared hospitals are officially in operation or soon to be in operation, along with several medical schools, establishing an international medical tourism destination, a gathering place for medical institutions, and a base for cutting-edge medical research and development.
Dr. Zhang Huiliang, Associate Professor of the Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology at the University of Arkansas Medical School, shared the latest research progress of their team on mitochondrial rejuvenation and reversal of cardiac aging. He stated that their research team’s study on the SS31 drug treatment will greatly restore the resilience of aging mitochondria. The drug exhibits a response time of only 8 minutes, and it is currently undergoing clinical trials.
Dr. Ji Young-mi, CEO of the Pasteur Institute Korea, mentioned the tremendous changes that have occurred in the biomedical field over the past decade. However, high investment costs, regulatory difficulties, and research barriers to translation remain important issues to address. Dr. Ji believes that global harmonious cooperation is the key to success.
Professor Zhai Guangyao, Deputy Director of the Department of Cardiology at Beijing Anzhen Hospital, Capital Medical University, has long been dedicated to cardiovascular health and the diagnosis of cardiovascular diseases. He expressed that there is now a common understanding internationally regarding the treatment of coronary heart disease. The field of cardiovascular internal medicine hopes to intervene in most lesions, especially those that cannot tolerate open-chest surgery. Currently, there has been rapid development and significant improvement in facilities for the treatment of coronary heart disease, such as minimally invasive techniques and drug-eluting stents. Modern medical interventions for cardiovascular diseases have become more efficient, safer, and environmentally friendly, ranging from implantation to semi-implantation of degradable stents, and even non-implantation or non-intervention procedures. Finally, Professor Zhai expressed his sincere desire for clinical doctors to collaborate with experts in basic research, pharmaceuticals, and medical device research to promote the realization of translational medicine.
Professor Zhao Lei, Chief Physician and Doctoral Supervisor of the Department of Infection at Peking Union Medical College Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, briefly introduced the multidisciplinary team of infection and inflammation. The team, led by the Department of Infectious Diseases, covers 32 specialties and conducts in-depth research on various topics, including anti-parasitic treatment, antiviral and bacterial infections, inflammatory diseases, new protective clothing, and big data in ophthalmology, producing significant social effects. In addition, Professor Zhao and the team have actively assisted in fighting the epidemic domestically and providing international assistance. The multidisciplinary team for infection has established the first global consultation team for COVID-19, sharing China’s experience with the international community and actively taking on the responsibility of popularizing knowledge about the epidemic among the public.
The forum believes that under the escalation of the global pandemic, the biomedical and health industries have once again become the focus of market attention. The global biomedical industry is undergoing transformation, especially with the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic. Only by deeply analyzing the prominent shortcomings in the development of the biomedical industry, identifying the key directions for development, accelerating the construction of research and development platforms, promoting enterprise transformation and upgrading, optimizing industrial layout, promoting the development of industrial clusters, and strengthening international biomedical technology cooperation to support the transformation, application, and promotion of advanced technologies can we accelerate the high-quality development of the biomedical industry.
NEXT Summit (Singapore 2021) is jointly hosted by the NEXT Federation and China Economic Information Service. With the theme of “Promoting Total-Factor Cooperation,” the summit has invited more than 70 international political figures, renowned scholars, business leaders, and entrepreneurial pioneers from over 10 countries, including New Zealand, China, Indonesia, South Korea, Egypt, Pakistan, the United Arab Emirates, Singapore, the United States, Germany, and Russia. Through important events such as the opening ceremony, keynote speeches, global project roadshows, the Hurricane Lamp Award ceremony, and seven thematic sub-forums, cutting-edge speeches and case sharing will be delivered in various industrial fields.
To watch the Biomedical and Health Forum at the NEXT Summit (Singapore 2021), please scan the QR code link below.
