In 2013, the Boao Lecheng International Medical Tourism Pilot Zone was approved by the State Council to be established as the only international medical tourism industrial park in China, with a planning area of 20.14 square kilometers, which is the third industrial park dominated by medical tourism and gathered by high-end medical technology, and endowed with nine preferential policies with extremely high gold content that are unique in the country, including the use of licensed drugs, medical devices, and cutting-edge technology research in the pilot zone.
This year, on the 30th anniversary of the establishment of the Hainan Provincial Office Special Economic Zone, the preferential policies of the Pilot Zone have been accelerated again - the approval power of imported medical devices has been delegated from the state to the local government for the first time, and Hainan can independently decide on the import approval of medical devices. Coupled with the official entry of the top academician expert team, the domestic unlisted new drugs began to purchase... Recently, the launch of this series of heavy measures has once again attracted attention to the Lecheng International Medical Tourism Pilot Zone in Boao, Hainan.
In April this year, when Xi Jinping, general secretary of the CPC Central Committee, president of the people and chairman of the Central Military Commission, inspected Hainan, he first visited this pioneer in the new field of China's medical and health opening up, emphasizing the need to vigorously develop health undertakings and serve the health of the people.
▲Pilot zone planning map.
This year's "Government Work Report" clearly pointed out that it is necessary to strengthen the prevention and treatment of major diseases such as cancer. At the premier's press conference, Li Keqiang announced that he would strive to reduce the import tax rate of anti-cancer drugs to zero. Now, from May 1, the import tariffs on 28 drugs such as anti-cancer drugs have been abolished, and the HPV9 vaccine has also been conditionally approved for marketing.
These favorable measures are particularly evident in the Boao Medical Pilot Zone. Red Star News reporter learned that hpv9 in the pilot area can already be booked, here not only can use the advanced drugs and medical devices listed abroad, the first domestic hpvic therapy with a negative rate of up to 85%, is also expected to be listed within two or three years. At present, 101 projects in the Pilot Zone have reached investment intentions, 39 projects have passed medical technology assessment, 27 projects have started construction, and 15 foreign new technologies have been introduced in the first phase.
1
All departments are superb super hospitals
Many top experts have opened their appointments
On April 18th, Professor Sun Baoshan, an orthopedic specialist at the Ninth People's Hospital of Shanghai Jiao Tong University, came to the Boao Pilot Zone. As one of the strongest specialist teams in China and a member of the plastic and aesthetic surgery team led by Professor Li Qingfeng, Sun Baoshan entered Boao Super Hospital for a week-long sitting consultation.
Boao Super Hospital, located in the Pilot Zone, opened on March 31, is the first landmark project of the Boao Medical Pilot Zone, which has become the image endorsement of the Pilot Zone in January.
There are many domestic top specialist experts like Sun Baoshan who come to the super hospital, and on the left wall of the hall on the first floor of the super hospital, the introduction of the national 12 clinical discipline teams led by academicians or discipline leaders in various fields is particularly eye-catching.
▲The lobby on the first floor of the super hospital. Image source Red Star News
"In other hospitals, there are one or two advantageous departments, which are already very powerful. And we've centralized all the top departments in the country in one hospital. Sheng Guoping, executive vice president of the super hospital, said, "That is, the '1 + X' style, that is, 'a shared hospital (platform) + several clinical medical centers', taking diversified investment, market-oriented operation and professional management." ”
For example, the infectious disease specialist team led by Academician Li Lanjuan, the hearing team of President Wu Hao, and the oral and maxillofacial team of Academician Zhang Volunteer... At present, the 12 clinical disciplines that have been identified in the super hospital are the top three disciplines in their respective fields in China - led by academicians of the Chinese Academy of Engineering and top medical discipline leaders in the field of clinical medicine, through the integration of domestic high-quality medical resources, the formation of teams, in the form of clinical centers of various specialties. The members of the settled team will take turns to come to the clinic like Sun Baoshan according to the arrangement.
"The mind is very quiet." Sun Baoshan, who has been to Hainan twice, felt very good when she came to the Pioneer Zone this time, so good that she was even unaccustomed to it. "We see more than 50 patients in the morning, sometimes until one o'clock in the afternoon, and on average three or four minutes we have to see a patient, not counting the time for patients to come in and out." In the super hospital where experts from all walks of life gather, although patients continue to come to consult, there is no overcrowded scene.
Sheng Guoping introduced to the Red Star News reporter that the hospital implements the appointment system, all patients make an appointment with the hospital in advance, the hospital summarizes the patient information to the expert team, and the expert team analyzes the patient's situation, and finally makes an appointment for the patient to be treated by the relevant experts. In this case, the doctor and the patient have sufficient time to communicate, guaranteeing the service experience.
▲Patients can make an appointment at the front desk of the Super Hospital. Image source Red Star News
In addition to appointments, a subset of patients are those who have been treated by team members of specialist teams stationed at the hospital, and when these patients have special needs to use new drugs, special consumables and equipment, experts will recommend referral to super hospitals. The Red Star News reporter learned that since the opening of the super hospital, the first surgical object is the referral patient of the plastic and aesthetic surgery team - Ms. Chen from Shenzhen has performed eye deformity repair surgery here.
Since then, the expert team led by Academician Han Demin, a leading figure in domestic entolaryngology, has carried out the first cochlear implant surgery in the super hospital. At present, ophthalmology, cardiology and other specialties have also been open for appointment.
2
Can't buy the PD-1?
Five or six of the latest anti-cancer drugs are already in procurement
The super hospital is just a microcosm of the opening up of the medical and health field in the pioneer area.
He Pengfei, member of the Standing Committee of the Qionghai Municipal Party Committee and deputy director of the Management Committee of the Pilot Zone, said that according to the plan, the Pilot Zone will focus on the development of international medical tourism-related industries such as medical treatment, medical aesthetic and anti-aging, health examination, and scientific research, and form "three places and six centers" - that is, international medical tourism destinations, cutting-edge medical technology research and development and transformation bases, and new medical institution clusters at the national level; clinical medical centers with obvious and advanced technology, medical rehabilitation centers with traditional Chinese medicine characteristics, and health examination centers with international standards. The exhibition window and follow-up treatment center of internationally renowned medical institutions in China, the International Medical Exchange Center, and the National Rare Disease Clinical Medical Center.
In this medical cluster, there are treatments that are not available elsewhere - chartered medical treatment: medical talents, medical technology, medical devices and drugs concession access; concession research: can apply for cutting-edge medical technology research projects such as stem cell clinical research; franchising: relaxing some medical approval powers, allowing foreign capital to enter and operate; chartering international exchanges: allowing the introduction and creation of international organizations and hosting international conferences.
Cancer, the treatment and research of this disease that has become the first major cause of death of Chinese residents, the advantages of the pilot zone are particularly obvious. According to the data released by the National Cancer Center, in 2015, the number of new cancer patients in China reached 4.29 million, the number of deaths reached 2.81 million, an average of about 7500 people died of cancer every day, and the mortality rate of cancer patients in China accounted for a quarter of the world's total.
In 2015, Lu Yong, a businessman with leukemia, was arrested and prosecuted for helping patients buy low-cost generic anti-cancer drugs in India. Although Lu Yong was eventually acquitted, the dilemma of cancer patients buying anti-cancer drugs has become increasingly prominent.
"The main reason is that it is difficult to use drugs, public hospitals do not enter, the cost is high, and many medical insurance is not reported." Dr. Cai, a resident physician in the Department of Oncology of the First Affiliated Hospital of Hainan Medical College, told Red Star News, "Now Iressa (suitable for the treatment of locally advanced or metastatic non-small cell lung cancer that has previously received chemotherapy) can be partially reimbursed, and the China Charity Federation Iressa Charity Aid Project also has a policy, and the genuine drug will be given free of charge if it is valid for about 8 months." "But cancer patients are prone to drug resistance, and the average resistance period of Iressa is about 10 months." ”
He explained to the Red Star News reporter that the tumor is constantly changing, anti-cancer drugs are changing with each passing day, Iressa has been listed for three generations, and now the fourth generation is already under study. If they are not synchronized with the international community, patients will not receive timely treatment.
Sheng Guoping told red star news reporters that with the support of the policy of the pilot zone, the latest anti-cancer drugs such as PD-1 have been approved by five or six varieties, and they can be purchased back for patients to use as soon as half a month. "In China, a CT scan only costs a few hundred yuan, while abroad it costs thousands of dollars." He believes that if tariff reductions and inclusion in health insurance, it will cost much less and more conveniently in the pilot zone than it costs patients who need to go abroad to receive these treatments.
3
Nine-valent HPV is conditionally listed
Reservations are already available here
According to Xinhua News Agency, the relevant person in charge of the Management Committee of the Pilot Zone introduced that in 2016, 600,000 people in China went abroad to seek medical treatment, and the construction of the Pilot Zone is to solve the problem of "toilet lid" in the medical field and alleviate the contradiction between the people's new demand for health and the current imbalance and insufficient supply of medical services.
Yesterday (May 1) the nine-valent HPV was conditionally approved for listing. But in fact, the road to the market of cervical cancer vaccines in China has taken a long time. According to the Chinese government network, premier Li Keqiang inspected the Huashan Hospital affiliated to Fudan University in Shanghai on April 11 to understand the supply and use of HPV cervical cancer vaccine that the society is generally concerned about: at present, the demand for HPV vaccine is very large, the supply of bivalent vaccine can be basically guaranteed, the supply of quadrivalent vaccine needs to be booked in advance, and the nine-valent vaccine has not yet been listed in the mainland, and the demander must travel abroad several times to get vaccinated. Li Keqiang immediately demanded that the relevant departments must speed up the approval, ensure the supply, and let the willing people use the latest HPV and other cancer vaccines as soon as possible.
Shi Yingming, general manager of Hainan Boao Ruida-Madiselle International Medical Center, who is stationed in the pilot zone, introduced to the Red Star News reporter that the HPV vaccine was previously approved to the fourth price in accordance with the formal procedures in China, and the second price has been clinical for 6 years, and the foreign nine-price vaccine has been free. Li Lanjuan, an academician of the Chinese Academy of Engineering, an expert in infectious diseases, and the president of Boao Super Hospital, once introduced: Some drugs, equipment and consumables that have been used abroad will take 3-5 years to settle in China.
"For safety, ethical and other considerations, the state has strict management of new equipment, new drugs and new consumables, but it always needs some places to try first." Quartz said that with the blessing of the "Nine Articles of the State", the pilot zone has eliminated the threshold of long-term registration approval and so on, and has achieved synchronization with the listing of foreign drugs.
▲Cell Engineering Center. Image source Red Star News
"Drugs that are not listed in China but have been registered and approved abroad can be used first, which greatly facilitates and attracts patients to seek medical treatment." More importantly, experts can rely on these most advanced technologies and drugs to collect data as pre-market information for relevant drugs and devices, and we have a more voice in the world to carry out cutting-edge research and discussion. ”
4
The first HPV therapy in China with a negative conversion rate of 85%.
It is expected to go public within two or three years
"The emergence of pilot zones has provided more options for ordinary people." Quartz told Red Star News.
The Ruida-Madisel International Medical Center, where Quartzing is located, specializes in cell research and applied therapy, which is based on immune cells for anti-aging and tumor treatment. According to reports, immune cell therapy is currently the world's most advanced treatment of tumor therapy, by activating the body's immune system to kill cancer cells. In layman's terms, immune cells generally attack foreign invaders, while tumor cells are part of the body, so it is difficult to be identified by immune cells, resulting in immune escape. Immunotherapy is tantamount to tearing the mask of tumor cells and lifting the veil that blindfolds immune cells.
Quartz has worked in the healthcare system for decades, from doctor to dean to health department management, and has a good understanding of the state of the industry. According to him, in the past, the state controlled stem cells and immune cell research very strictly, and the requirements were also very high. For example, to the top three hospitals, hardware, expert qualifications, etc., the general institutions can not do, and many qualified institutions are unwilling to do, because the clinical investment is very large, whether in terms of funds and time, it is a very large project, the general institutions can not afford it.
"For example, the NK cell research technology that is often said now has been developed for more than ten years and is still being continuously improved, and it is very rare for general research to produce an outcome in five years." The Red Star News reporter learned that the NK cell Chinese called natural killer cell, which is the third largest type of lymphocyte in the body, accounting for about 15% of all immune cells in the blood, belongs to the core cells of the natural immune system, and is responsible for killing abnormal cells such as aging, virus infection, and tumors. It mainly has a therapeutic and preventive effect on sub-healthy people, and can be used as anti-aging of the body, as well as rehabilitation treatment for tumor patients.
Researchers are doing experiments. Image source Red Star News
Quartz Ming said that they are working with the team of Professor Datian Zhigang of Zhongke to cooperate with NK cell immunotherapy technology, with independent intellectual property rights, compared with other similar technologies at present, they can ensure cell activity, purity and quantity, and are also in the leading position in the world. Several of the center's current projects have completed basic research, animal testing and even phase I clinical practice, and once successfully applied, they can be promoted to the whole country. According to him, the Hainan Provincial Health and Family Planning Commission has introduced regulatory measures for clinical research in the pilot area, and the relevant institutions must file the project with the Provincial Health and Family Planning Commission, and the Health and Family Planning Commission will also set up an expert committee to send expert groups to review the projects carried out to ensure the safety, ethics and feasibility of the project. At present, the trial draft is still being further revised.
Quartz's institution is still conducting hpv-to-yang cell therapy research. "High-risk HPV can manifest as a persistent infection and eventually develop into precancerous lesions and even cervical cancer, making it difficult to turn negative." He told the Red Star News reporter that the cell therapy they are doing is precision treatment, which separates the cells through autologous blood and then induces them to trace back to the autologous part. "The research has been done for more than ten years, and the actual treatment cases are tens of thousands, and the negative rate is as high as 85%." Quartz Ming said that the technology is the first in China, is being declared to the state, and is now doing the final clinical data collection work such as efficacy and safety, if it goes well, it is expected to be listed within two or three years.
"If foreign technology is used, the patent protection period is generally ten years and the price is expensive." After Boao approved the establishment of a medical pilot zone, Quartz ming felt that this was a good opportunity for the medical industry, and it was a blessing for ordinary people. "If it is not in the pilot zone, we can only do research and development of immune cells, can not be clinically applied, and finally can not go to the market." With the access conditions for the research and development of stem cells and the application of immune cells in the Pilot Zone relaxed, the Chinese people are expected to use internationally advanced technologies and drugs faster and cheaper. ”
END
Red Star News reporter 丨 Lan Jing sent from Hainan