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Medicine
The latest news, analysis and opinion on Medicine. In-depth analysis, industry insights and expert opinion.
Weight-loss injections, which have been approved by Hong Kong authorities for use, have become increasingly popular around the world. Photo: Karma Lo
Hong Kong healthcare and hospitals

Exclusive | No prescription, no problem: Hong Kong’s grey zone for weight-loss injections

Slimming injections cannot be sold or purchased in Hong Kong without doctor’s prescription, but some retailers are operating grey market.

Wellness

Weight rebound after stopping Ozempic, Wegovy? Not necessarily, new data says

Science

A mother’s mind appears restored: might ultrasound be a cure for Alzheimer’s?

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Science

Asthma has no cure. For some, the risk is in this gene, Chinese team finds

Researchers create Chinese Immune Multi-Omics Atlas, profiling more than 10 million immune cells and identifying 73 types of immune cells.

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Scientist Yin Jianhua says a Chinese team’s research shows that asthma is closely related to the immune system, suggesting that immune-related treatments could be a viable option for therapy. Photo: Shutterstock
Wellness

He had cancer, she had a rare disorder. How two 85-year-olds came out on top

Bob and Fran German share how going vegan changed their lives and helps them keep fit, healthy, full of energy – and sniffle-free.

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Wellness

The hidden benefits of common vaccines, including reduced dementia, heart risks

Flu, RSV, shingles, Covid and other vaccines have ‘off-target’ benefits for older adults, making them ‘key tools’ for healthy ageing.

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China’s private sector

China’s drug and medical device sector fuels growth with record licensing deals

China’s pharmaceutical industry surges on ageing demand and global expansion, with revenue forecast to top US$2.1 trillion by 2030.

Innovative drugs are expected to outpace other segments with an annualised growth of 20 per cent between 2026 and 2030, according to UBS. Photo: Shutterstock
Wellness

The huge benefits of quitting alcohol, from weight loss to slowing ageing

Ex-drinkers and sobriety experts explain how life is better and healthier without drinking as many attempt the same during Dry January.

Hong Kong economy

Editorial | Hong Kong’s biotech hub aim advanced by pacts with national agencies

Deepening cooperation on traditional Chinese medicine and cancer research will help the city play a role in developing more effective and less intrusive treatments.

Made in China 2025

Novartis, SciNeuro deal offers hope for 55 million suffering from Alzheimer’s

SciNeuro’s anti-amyloid programme is one of the firm’s key strategic research and development priorities to target the brain disease.

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Swiss drugmaker Novartis has gained global rights over SciNeuro’s novel amyloid beta targeted antibody programme. Photo: Reuters
United States

New York City Mayor Mamdani joins picket line as 15,000 nurses strike

The city’s new mayor backs the walkout as thousands of nurses strike over pay, staffing and workplace safety.

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New York Mayor Zohran Mamdani joins nurses from New York-Presbyterian/Columbia University Irving Medical Centre. Photo: AFP
Wellness

Singaporean dementia study links Alzheimer’s to clogged ‘brain drains’

Blocked glymphatic channels, part of the brain’s waste-cleaning network, could be an early Alzheimer’s marker, Singaporean researchers find.

Wellness

Why your gut microbiome is so important for health and how to protect it

Bacteria in the gut perform important jobs that help prevent disease, but how to best protect and improve yours? An expert weighs in.

The Philippines

Soaring healthcare costs in the Philippines: are doctors’ fees to blame?

Doctors have hit back, saying that they are being unfairly blamed for deeper systemic failures in healthcare financing.

Medical professionals attend to a patient at the government-run National Kidney and Transplant Institute in Quezon City, Metro Manila, the Philippines. Photo: Getty Images
Hong Kong healthcare and hospitals

Hong Kong hospital A&E department visits fall 12% after new fees take effect

Number of people benefiting from fee waivers under new pricing regime that started on January 1 triples.

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The fee revamp took effect on January 1. Photo: Sun Yeung
Hong Kong healthcare and hospitals

Hong Kong’s late summer flu season is over. But official says jabs still vital

Controller of Centre for Health Protection says seasonal influenza activity has dropped below baseline level over the past week.

Artificial intelligence

Dose of uncertainty: experts wary of AI health tech gadgets at CES trade show

Technology and health experts question the accuracy of these products and warn of data privacy issues.

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Made in China 2025

Chinese biotechs strike a record US$136 billion in out-licensing deals in 2025

Chinese drug makers signed 157 out-licensing deals with global pharmaceutical firms last year versus 94 a year earlier.

Last year, China approved 76 innovative drugs, including 47 chemical drugs and 23 biologics. Photo: Shutterstock
Made in China 2025

Meow or never: China’s pudgy pets spark race for weight-loss drugs

Fosun and Huadong biotech labs eye feline obesity drugs as owners weigh cuteness against health risks.

United States

Medical groups win right to challenge RFK Jnr’s Covid-19 vaccine policies

Judge lets medical groups challenge Kennedy’s CDC vaccine changes, citing health risks to public health and unlawful panel influence.

Thailand

Thailand tightens cannabis sales as dispensaries face closure ahead of election

Thailand, the first country in Asia to decriminalise cannabis in 2022, tightens rules to appeal to conservative voters ahead of pivotal election.

A staff member prepares a cannabis flower for a customer in Bangkok in June 2025, after Thailand banned sales without a prescription. Photo: AP
Hong Kong society

Editorial | As Hong Kong’s public hospital fees rise, balance must be the watchword

Accessibility and affordability should be prioritised, especially given the city’s ageing population increasingly prone to chronic illnesses.

A hospital staff member holds a queue token at Kwong Wah Hospital’s A&E department on December 31, the day before the hospital fee revamp. Photo: Sun Yeung
Science

China’s biopharma sector ‘in prime position to challenge US leadership’

American commission issues stark warning, as analytics firm Clarivate reports that Chinese innovative drug development has entered new phase.

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Hong Kong healthcare and hospitals

Low-income patients call for more help as steeper Hong Kong hospital fees loom

From January 1, patients will need to pay more for certain services, and while safety net will also be widened, some people have fallen through the cracks.

Hong Kong healthcare and hospitals

Genomic sequencing puts Hong Kong at forefront of cancer care innovation

Scientist Aya El Helali says research speeds up cancer treatment discovery and helps the city bridge mainland China with global drug development.

Aya El Helali is a clinical assistant professor at the University of Hong Kong’s department of clinical oncology. Photo: Jonathan Wong
India

As India’s US$70 million obesity drug market bulges, so does price war

Pharmaceutical giants like Lilly and Nordisk are battling for dominance in India’s weight-loss market with price cuts and early launches.

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A hoarding of Eli Lilly on a building in Gurugram, India. Photo: Reuters
Science

In world first, Chinese surgeons save patient’s ear with graft onto foot

The ear was torn off in an industrial accident and was successfully reattached to the woman’s scalp several months later.

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Wellness

As weight-loss drugs reduce appetites, US restaurants cut portion sizes

Some New York restaurants are offering smaller portions at lower prices to appeal to those on hunger-reducing GLP-1 weight-loss medications.

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