University of Hong Kong opens first clinical trials centre with private hospital; cancer a focus
Collaboration with Gleneagles will make use of university’s ‘100 years of experience’ in research, medical school dean says
Hong Kong’s oldest medical school has launched a clinical trials centre with a private hospital for the first time, as the pair join sforces to target cancer research and the city’s medical innovation hub ambitions.
The University of Hong Kong’s Li Ka Shing Faculty of Medicine and Gleneagles Hospital launched the facility on Thursday, with representatives saying the centre would be able to operate with more flexibility than the public sector and benefit from the tertiary institution’s research experience.
“This initiative is key to advancing medical research and improving patient outcomes in Hong Kong,” said Dr Wallace Lau Chak-sing, the dean of the medical school.
“With [the faculty’s] profound expertise in conducting various types of clinical trials and research across healthcare sectors in Hong Kong and mainland China, we are poised to position the city as a global hub for health and medical innovations.”
In last year’s policy address, Chief Executive John Lee Ka-chiu said that turning Hong Kong into a health and medical innovation hub would be one of his administration’s major initiatives.
Part of the push is to attract more pharmaceutical and medical device companies to conduct research and development, as well as clinical trials, in Hong Kong.
