Medical News Briefing on January 31: Seven Ministries Issue Guidelines to Advance Future Industries; First Human Receives Neuralink Implant

1. Seven Departments, Including the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology, Issue Document to Promote Innovative Development of Future Industries

Recently, seven departments, including the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology, the Ministry of Education, and the Ministry of Science and Technology, jointly issued the "Implementation Opinions on Promoting the Innovative Development of Future Industries," to strengthen forward-looking planning and policy guidance for future industries, support the advancement of new-type industrialization, and accelerate the formation of new quality productive forces. The "Opinions" set development goals in terms of technological innovation, product breakthroughs, enterprise cultivation, scenario expansion, and industrial competitiveness: By 2025, China's future industries will achieve comprehensive development in technological innovation, industry cultivation, and safety governance, with some fields reaching internationally advanced levels and a steady increase in industrial scale. A batch of incubators and pilot zones for future industries will be established, over one hundred frontier key core technologies will be broken through, one hundred landmark products will be developed, and a development model for future industries that aligns with China's actual conditions will take initial shape. Following the approach of "technological innovation – forward-looking identification – achievement transformation," the "Opinions" propose specific measures to promote the industrialization of frontier technologies. (Ministry of Industry and Information Technology)

2. National Administration of Traditional Chinese Medicine: TCM hospitals at all levels shall establish independent departments of geriatrics

Recently, to actively respond to the aging population in China and effectively improve the quality and level of traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) services for elderly health, thereby promoting the high-quality development of geriatrics departments in TCM hospitals, the National Administration of Traditional Chinese Medicine issued the "Notice on Further Strengthening the Construction of Geriatrics Departments in TCM Hospitals." The Notice sets forth requirements from ten aspects, including emphasizing the unique advantages of TCM and enhancing comprehensive diagnosis and treatment capabilities, to strengthen the construction of geriatrics departments in TCM hospitals. The Notice points out that all TCM hospitals should establish geriatrics departments as independent units for construction and management, based on the local elderly population size and demand for TCM services. In principle, the number of beds in the geriatrics department of secondary-level TCM hospitals should be no fewer than 20, and that of tertiary-level TCM hospitals should be no fewer than 30. Geriatrics departments in TCM hospitals should actively carry out comprehensive geriatric assessments, diagnosis and treatment of geriatric syndromes, and multidisciplinary care. They should also proactively conduct high-risk screenings for hospitalized elderly patients, covering falls, venous thromboembolism, nutritional risk, aspiration, and bed falls. (National Administration of Traditional Chinese Medicine)

3. NMPA Publishes the List of Members of the Cosmetics Standardization Technical Committee

Recently, to implement the "Regulations on the Supervision and Administration of Cosmetics" and further improve the formulation and revision of cosmetic standards (including toothpaste), the National Medical Products Administration organized the establishment of the Cosmetic Standardization Technical Committee. In the earlier stage of forming the Cosmetic Technical Specifications Committee by the National Medical Products Administration, after procedures such as qualification review, basic legal knowledge testing, expert interviews, and public announcement, a list of 60 committee members was selected. Subsequently, through recommendations from relevant units and qualification reviews, another list of 130 proposed committee members was formed. Now, the above-mentioned list of proposed members for the Cosmetic Standardization Technical Committee (totaling 190 people) is being publicly announced, with the publicity period running from January 29, 2024, to February 5, 2024. (National Medical Products Administration)

4. Musk: First Human Receives Neuralink Implant

Elon Musk recently announced on the social media platform X that the first human recipient of a brain-computer interface (BCI) implant from Neuralink underwent the procedure yesterday and is currently recovering well. Preliminary results indicate promising performance in neuron spike detection. According to information revealed by biographer Ashley Vance in late 2023, thousands of people are currently on a waiting list, hoping to receive brain implants from Musk’s BCI company, Neuralink. It is reported that Neuralink projects its annual revenue could reach as high as $100 million within five years. In early 2023, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved Neuralink to conduct human trials of its device, and by September 2023, the company had begun recruiting volunteers for its first-in-human clinical trial. (National Business Daily)

5. Philips Reaches Settlement Agreement with U.S. FDA on Ventilator Recall

Philips Reports Q4 Operating Profit of €24 Million, Including €363 Million in Respirator Settlement CostsRecently, Dutch consumer electronics giant Philips reported a fourth-quarter operating profit of €24 million, which included €363 million in expenses related to a settlement agreement concerning its respirators. The company has reached a settlement with the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) regarding the massive recall of its respirator devices. Philips’ adjusted EBITA margin for the fourth quarter was 12.9%, while the adjusted EBITA margin excluding sales provisions stood at 12.5%. Group sales declined by 1% to €5.06 billion. Philips stated that the settlement agreement with the U.S. FDA provides a clear roadmap to demonstrate regulatory compliance and restore business operations. The agreement is currently being finalized and will be submitted to a U.S. court for approval. (Financial World)

6. Zhongke Borui Completes Tens of Millions in Series A Strategic Financing

Recently, Zhongke Borui (Beijing) Technology Co., Ltd. announced the completion of its Series A strategic financing, amounting to tens of millions of yuan. This round of financing was exclusively invested by Beijing Aeonmed System Co., Ltd. The funds raised will primarily be used to accelerate the clinical trial processes for multiple product lines, support the research and development of innovative products, and enhance market promotion and sales efforts. Zhongke Borui was incubated by the Institute of Automation, Chinese Academy of Sciences. Focusing on the broad category of neurological disorders related to cerebrovascular diseases, Zhongke Borui has established product directions centered on "brain physiology," "brain consciousness," and "brain function." The company is accelerating the commercialization of the Ministry of Science and Technology's National Major Scientific Instrument Development Special Project—the Photoelectric Synchronous Brain Activity Imager. This effort has resulted in the world's first integrated multimodal brain functional imaging system combining electroencephalography (EEG) and functional near-infrared spectroscopy (fNIRS). Leveraging brain-computer interface technology, the system aids in the efficacy evaluation of rehabilitation patients. (Arterial Network)

7. “World’s First” Compliant Digital Product—“Compliance Link”

Since the comprehensive implementation of Good Manufacturing Practice (GMP) for medical devices in 2018, regulatory oversight has become increasingly stringent. Professionals in the medical device industry now face normalized product sampling inspections, routine unannounced audits, and regular public disclosure of regulatory information. To help medical device enterprises mitigate risks and achieve compliance objectives during this process, Ozda—a global leader in medical device industry services and a regional medical device industry operator—has independently developed and launched “HeGuiTong,” a pioneering digital compliance solution. This product provides a one-stop compliance solution covering the entire lifecycle of medical devices, facilitating the advancement of corporate compliance initiatives and enhancing operational efficiency. (Compiled by Ozda)

8. China Breaks Through in Biosynthesis Technology for the Anti-Cancer Drug Paclitaxel

Recently, the Shenzhen Institute of Agricultural Genomics, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, announced its latest research findings: the key missing enzymes in the paclitaxel biosynthetic pathway have been identified, thereby elucidating the complete paclitaxel biosynthetic route and laying the foundation for the industrialized production of paclitaxel. By integrating genomics, metabolomics, biochemistry, and other technical approaches, the study screened multiple candidate genes critical to paclitaxel biosynthesis in yew plants (Taxus spp.), successfully identifying taxane oxetane synthase and taxane C9 oxidase. The researchers further achieved the biosynthesis of baccatin III, a crucial precursor for paclitaxel production, thus realizing the biological synthesis of paclitaxel. This breakthrough holds significant importance for guiding genetic breeding and the efficient utilization of germplasm resources in yew trees, and it is highly promising for advancing the industrial development of paclitaxel in China. The related research findings were published in the prestigious academic journal Science. (Guangming Daily)