In the medical products pavilion, one of the most bustling areas at the ongoing ninth China International Import Expo in Shanghai, multinational medical companies are reaching more collaborations with local stakeholders to further contribute to building the country's healthcare ecosystem.
Attracting 16 of the world's top 20 pharmaceutical companies as well as the top three medical imaging players and top three radiotherapy equipment manufacturers, the CIIE functions as a platform for linking the country's government authorities, hospitals, and businesses more deeply, the companies said.
At the CIIE, Merck Healthcare presented an integrated ecosystem approach to benefit patients. This commitment manifests across multiple dimensions, including its collaboration with Alibaba Health and medical professionals to make public health education more accessible, and its strategic collaboration with the China Alliance for Rare Diseases to support the development of rare disease care.
"True innovation means more than scientific breakthrough alone. It's the ability to translate scientific discovery into patient-accessible solutions - at speed, at scale, and with impact. This requires an ecosystem mindset, trusted partnerships, and a commitment to open collaboration," said Andre Musto, managing director and general manager of Merck Healthcare China.
Takeda is engaged at the CIIE in in-depth discussions with government departments and industry partners on topics around medical innovation, capacity building in diagnosis and treatment, patient services, and digital health. Together with various stakeholders, Takeda will host thematic events to accelerate the implementation of innovative achievements.
Gilead Sciences will organize more than 10 activities, including partnership signings, launches, and interactions, at its booth. Topics include HIV standard treatment and public health education, and comprehensive management of metastatic breast cancer, further promoting consensus among stakeholders into hospitals and communities.
"China is one of Gilead's core strategic markets globally. We look forward to deepening cooperation with local innovative firms and all parties in the healthcare ecosystem to contribute to building a balanced, inclusive, high-quality, and efficient Healthy China," said Jin Fangqian, vice-president and China general manager of Gilead.
Roche Pharmaceuticals, in collaboration with the China Population Welfare Foundation, clinical experts, and partners from retail and internet healthcare sectors, launched an influenza season protection initiative at the CIIE. The initiative aims to build a new ecosystem for flu prevention and treatment, promoting coordination across prevention, screening, treatment, and care. Roche's innovative influenza drug Xofluza is showcased again at the expo.
Emphasizing that advancing health impacts involves not only extending innovation to more people, but also promoting a shift in the health system toward prevention-first and whole-life-cycle management, GSK gathered experts from disease control, policy research, primary healthcare, and industry to a forum discussing how to translate the consensus of prioritizing health into collective actions on the opening day of its exhibition.
GSK also held a roundtable discussion on AIDS prevention and treatment at its CIIE booth. Experts from the public health, clinical treatment, and pharmaceutical innovation fields engaged in discussions on the high-quality development of AIDS prevention efforts, long-term health management for those infected, and advancements in innovative treatments. The dialogue aimed to promote achieving the goal of "ending AIDS as a public health threat".
