Hong Kong drives trials for breast cancer, eye treatments across Greater Bay Area
Health Hope Pharma teams up with Greater Bay Area International Clinical Trial Institute and its Shenzhen counterpart for large-scale trials
Two US-developed treatments for breast cancer and a degenerative eye disease will undergo large-scale clinical trials in the Greater Bay Area in a collaboration involving Hong Kong, Shenzhen and a pharmaceutical start-up founded by a former lawmaker.
The agreement was formalised on Tuesday when Health Hope Pharma founder Dr Dennis Lam Shun-chiu signed a memorandum of understanding with the Greater Bay Area International Clinical Trial Institute (GBAICTI) and its Shenzhen counterpart, Greater Bay Area International Clinical Trials Centre.
Lam, a renowned ophthalmologist and former lawmaker, said the agreement will allow his company to tap into the Greater Bay Area’s vast population for the clinical trials targeting metastatic breast cancer and macular degeneration, an eye disease that affects central vision.
“Drug research and development take a long time, vast capital and are high risk, but our common law system and free flow of capital closely align with international standards, making Hong Kong well positioned to support these clinical endeavours,” he said.
“With a population of just 7.5 million, we could not do it fast enough. If Hong Kong could take the lead while leveraging the 80 million population of the Greater Bay Area, it would be a perfect synergy.”
The Greater Bay Area consists of nine mainland cities in Guangdong province, as well as Hong Kong and Macau.