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Charles Ng
Opinion
Charles Ng

How Hong Kong can lead in longevity medicine as silver economy grows

City has unique conditions to be the premier regional hub for longevity research, clinical trials, regulatory approval and capital scaling

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Illustration: Craig Stephens
Charles Ng
Charles Ng is a medical doctor who holds a Master of Public Health from Johns Hopkins University.

A profound demographic and economic shift is sweeping through Asia, quietly rewriting the rules of national development. The traditional paradigm of treating population ageing as a passive fiscal burden is being dismantled as Beijing makes the “silver economy” and proactive ageing strategies the pillars of national security and economic growth.

China’s population aged 60 and above reached 320 million last year, accounting for 23 per cent of its citizenry. This is projected to climb to 400 million by 2035, or around 30 per cent of the population. The silver economy, valued at 7 trillion yuan (US$1.03 trillion), is expected to balloon to 30 trillion yuan, or 10 per cent of gross domestic product by 2035.
This economic metamorphosis is not merely about building better elderly care infrastructure – it is the birth of longevity medicine. This emerging field focuses on extending people’s health span – the number of years a person lives an active life, free from chronic illness.
Longevity medicine may sound like science fiction but is grounded in clinical science. Rather than wait for a patient to suffer a stroke or develop diabetes, doctors use advanced biological screening tools to analyse DNA modifications and determine a person’s biological age as opposed to their chronological age. Interventions include targeted cell-rejuvenation therapies that flush out “zombie cells” or compound molecules that repair DNA shielding to slow down cellular decay.

The commercial appetite for these therapies is massive. Globally, the longevity market is valued at US$27.6 billion and projected to surpass US$67 billion by 2035. Growth is fastest in the Asia-Pacific region, with the market set to increase by 11.25 per cent annually.

For Hong Kong, this is a strategic imperative – it must position itself as the premier regional hub for longevity research, clinical trials, regulatory approval and capital scaling.

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