Amgen Supports Launch of 'Bone Health Initiative' with Multiple Academic Institutions to Manage High-Risk Fragility Fracture Patients in China

Shanghai, December 23, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- On December 19, the “China Health Knowledge Dissemination Incentive Program (Bone Strength Initiative) – Management Project for Chinese Patients at High Risk of Fragility Fractures” was officially launched in Beijing. The project is jointly hosted by the National Research Institute for Family Planning of the National Health Commission and the Osteoporosis and Bone Mineral Disease Branch of the Chinese Medical Association, under the guidance of the Bureau of Disease Control and Prevention of the National Health Commission, the Chinese Health Education Center, and the Office of the All-China Journalists Association, with support from Amgen Inc.

Guided by the Fracture Liaison Service (FLS) model advocated by the International Osteoporosis Foundation (IOF), the “Bone Strength Initiative” aims to explore and establish a standardized management model for patients at high risk of fragility fractures. This model is tailored to China’s national conditions, emphasizing interdepartmental collaboration within hospitals and active doctor-patient interaction, thereby facilitating the diagnosis and treatment of osteoporosis and the prevention of fragility fractures. Relevant departments from dozens of medical institutions, including Peking Union Medical College Hospital of the Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and the Second Xiangya Hospital of Central South University, will participate in the development of pilot demonstration units for the “Bone Strength Initiative.”

Digital Platforms Help Break Down Departmental Boundaries

With the intensifying aging population in China, the number of patients with osteoporosis and fragility fractures has shown a significant upward trend. The first large-scale epidemiological survey on osteoporosis in China revealed that the prevalence rate among women aged 50 and above reached 32.1%, while the awareness rate of the disease among patients aged 50 and above was only 7.0%.^[1]. Meanwhile, as the diagnosis and treatment of osteoporosis involve multiple hospital departments, it also poses challenges to comprehensive patient management, including clinical visits and follow-up.

To this end, the “Bone Strength Initiative” will strengthen the management of high-risk patients by building an intelligent data platform that facilitates interdepartmental collaboration within hospitals to guide patient referrals. Professor Xia Weibo, Director of the Department of Endocrinology at Peking Union Medical College Hospital, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, and a core expert of the project, stated, “The project will integrate digital management tools to explore patient management pathways tailored to China’s national context. Meanwhile, through specific measures such as media outreach, public education, standardized diagnosis and treatment, long-term follow-up, and demonstration and promotion, we aim to establish a sustainable and effective management system. This will enhance the management of patients at high risk for fragility fractures, truly realizing the creation of a ‘bone health concept,’ the implementation of ‘bone health actions,’ the establishment of ‘bone health standards,’ and the designation of ‘bone health demonstration units.’”

Join Forces to Conquer Fractures

The “Bone Strength Initiative” comprises three modules, focusing on advancing patient management and digital platform development, enhancing academic exchange in the field of bone health, and promoting the concept of healthy bones. Professor Wang Yipeng, a core expert of the project, former Vice President of Peking Union Medical College Hospital (Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences), and Chief Physician of Orthopedics, stated, “Long-term management of patients with osteoporosis and osteoporotic fractures requires collaborative efforts from all sectors of society. We anticipate that the implementation of this initiative will be truly effective and sustainable, making a positive contribution to healthy aging in society.”

Professor Zhang Zhenlin, Chairman of the Osteoporosis and Bone Mineral Disease Branch of the Chinese Medical Association, stated, “The Osteoporosis and Bone Mineral Disease Branch of the Chinese Medical Association has been committed to exploring patient management pathways that better align with China’s national conditions. We hope that, through collective efforts, the ‘Bone Strength Initiative’ will help China achieve at an early date the vision put forth by the International Osteoporosis Foundation in its ‘Break the Fracture’ campaign, which is also the aspiration of every expert dedicated to the prevention and treatment of osteoporosis.”

As a project supporter, Amgen has been committed to the global field of bone health for 20 years and is a leader in this area. Since entering China, Amgen has been dedicated to working closely with the government, academic societies, hospitals, and various partners to promote the establishment of a more resilient long-term diagnosis and treatment ecosystem for osteoporosis, driving the transformation of medical models from traditional "treating diseases after they occur" to "prediction and prevention."

(The content of this article is cited from the “China Health Knowledge Dissemination Incentive Program”)

^[1]Chinese Society of Osteoporosis and Bone Mineral Metabolism, Chinese Medical Association. (2019). Release of the Results from the Epidemiological Survey of Osteoporosis in China and the “Healthy Bones” Special Campaign.Chinese Journal of Osteoporosis and Bone Mineral Metabolism, 7(12):317-318.