Chongqing's First Medical Science and Technology Achievements Transformation Competition Concludes with Nearly RMB 200 Million in Signed Deals

On November 29, 2024, the Chongqing Medical Science and Technology Innovation Achievement Transformation Competition concluded successfully in Shapingba District, Chongqing. Co-hosted by the Chongqing Municipal Health Commission, the Chongqing Municipal Science and Technology Bureau, the Chongqing Municipal Economy and Information Technology Commission, the Chongqing Municipal Medical Products Administration, and the Chongqing Municipal Intellectual Property Office, the competition attracted 376 project registrations since its launch in September. Following rigorous screening, 248 achievements advanced to the expert review stage of the preliminary round, 84 outstanding achievements were shortlisted for the semi-finals, and 46 excellent achievements entered the finals. Ultimately, four first prizes, eight second prizes, and ten third prizes were awarded.

The first prize in the pharmaceutical category was awarded to “NHWD-870,” a Class 1.1 innovative new drug developed by the team led by Yin Mingzhu, Vice President of Chongqing University Three Gorges Hospital. This achievement has demonstrated promising efficacy in Phase I clinical trials for indications such as lymphoma and midline carcinoma, and Phase II clinical trials are currently underway. Two first prizes were awarded in the medical device category: one to the team led by Li Xiangji, Deputy Director of the Department of Ophthalmology at the Third Affiliated Hospital of Chongqing Medical University, for their “Magnesium-Based Biodegradable Glaucoma Drainage Device and Intraocular Interventional Therapy Technology”; and the other to the team led by Tang Li, Founder of Shanqi (Chongqing) Smart Healthcare Technology Co., Ltd., for their “Intelligent Gait Analysis Comprehensive Solution” project. The first prize in the medical technology category was awarded to the “ZhiSuJian – Intelligent Trauma Detection System” developed by the team led by Luo Yang, Vice Dean of the School of Medicine at Chongqing University and Director of the Clinical Laboratory at the People’s Hospital Affiliated to Chongqing University. His team developed an integrated intelligent diagnostic kit for trauma, enabling simultaneous monitoring of blood type and infection within 30 minutes.

Award-winning achievements will receive a total reward of RMB 1 million (RMB 100,000 for First Prize, RMB 50,000 for Second Prize, and RMB 20,000 for Third Prize). Outstanding achievements will be selectively included in the support list for the “Promotion and Transformation Initiative.” The principal investigators of award-winning projects will be exempt from their institution’s annual quota restrictions when applying for municipal-level medical research projects in the following year. Eligible achievements will be given priority recommendation for application to the Chongqing Innovative Medical Device Application Demonstration Program. Furthermore, eligible achievements will be supported by an expert advisory team providing incubation, validation, and promotion services, along with resource matchmaking and achievement promotion to facilitate technology transfer.

Below is the list of all first, second, and third prize winners of this competition:

Guided and nurtured by the competition, numerous projects have yielded promising commercialization outcomes. By organizing outcome-focused training camps, inviting clinical industry investment experts to deliver lectures, assigning technology managers (agents) for end-to-end guidance, and facilitating connections with enterprise parks, the Competition Organizing Committee facilitated the signing of contracts for more than 20 projects during the event, with a total contract value approaching RMB 200 million.

The competition entry by Xu Feng’s team from the Children’s Hospital of Chongqing Medical University, titled “AI-Powered Non-Invasive Monitor for Pediatric Cerebral Edema,” involves equipment manufacturing through licensing agreements and subsequent revenue sharing. Shanqi Medical’s competition entry, titled “Integrated Intelligent Solution for Gait Diagnosis and Treatment,” focuses on the development of a 3D intelligent foot diagnostic device and a balance and gait analyzer. Based on this technology, products such as children’s shoes and foot orthotics can be developed. Commercial contracts have already been signed, and product commercialization is being carried out through a general distributor model.

The "Chongqing Grade A Tertiary Hospital Technological Innovation Index" was also released at the event. Led by the National Vocational Skill Appraisal Institute of the Chongqing Municipal Health Commission, this initiative developed an evaluation system for technological innovation in Chongqing’s Grade A tertiary hospitals through multiple research methodologies, assessing their innovation capabilities via a range of indicators. Additionally, during the event, the National Vocational Skill Appraisal Institute of the Chongqing Municipal Health Commission was approved to establish the Chongqing Medical Intellectual Property Operation Center.

As one of the organizers of this competition, the Chongqing Municipal Health Commission will continue to thoroughly implement the important speeches and instructions delivered by General Secretary Xi Jinping during his inspection visit to Chongqing. Adhering to the strategic orientation of the “Four Orientations,” we will improve the mechanism for the deep integration of scientific and technological innovation with industrial innovation. Closely aligning with the “416” Scientific and Technological Innovation Layout and the “33618” Modern Manufacturing Cluster System, we will lead comprehensive innovation through industrial innovation, promoting Chongqing’s full transition to an innovation-driven development model. Moving forward, the Municipal Health Commission will continue to advance the capacity building for clinical research, strengthen clinical and translational medical research, streamline the pathways for the transformation of medical scientific and technological achievements, and facilitate their precise implementation.