China's innovative therapies lead new cancer battle

Ecosystem building

Hong Kong's Hospital Authority set up an office recently to engage with mainland and overseas pharmaceutical companies to identify patients' needs for innovative drugs, and shorten the registration period from 150 to 100 working days.

In 2023, the Chinese University of Hong Kong and its affiliated unit, the Hong Kong Institute of Biotechnology, launched the city's first Good Manufacturing Practices facility for cell and gene therapy. In April this year, the center completed its first CAR T-cell clinical trials for 15 patients.

The institute's managing director, Gina Jiang Yizhen, said the GMP system is a globally recognized manufacturing standard. She also cautioned that mismatched production standards would hinder drug companies' global expansion aims.

Hong Kong aligns with Pharmaceutical Inspection Cooperation Scheme practices, while the mainland uses a dual regulatory track, allowing trials initiated by investigators or the industry.

In 2023, the mainland applied for full membership of the global cooperation scheme, with acceptance expected in three to six years.

Jiang said there has been a major shift in the approach to living drugs such as CAR T-cell, requiring an overhaul of Hong Kong's medical services.

"Hong Kong has been a drug buyer. For cellular therapy to take root, it must become part of the ecosystem," she said, applauding the SAR's plan to establish the Centre for Medical Products Regulation by the end of 2026, driving the shift from buyer to active participant.

A one-stop service — from clinical trials to manufacturing and primary registration — would attract multinationals and facilitate greater cooperation in the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area and internationally. "Many great things will happen if we work side by side," she said.

CAR T-cell therapy is currently being used mostly as a third-line treatment for patients who have relapsed after having undergone two lines of therapy.

Jiang hopes that it will eventually become a first-line treatment, with the therapy being explored to deal with autoimmune diseases like Lupus. The next generation of CAR T-cell treatment would genetically modify T-cells inside the body, eliminating the need for extraction and reinfusion, she said.

Taking pride in the "Made in China" label for advanced therapy like CAR T-cell, Zhang from IASO said it showcases China's growing global influence on innovative medicines.

"There's no better way to tell China's story than saving lives with our domestically developed medicines," she said.