China's First, Global Debut: Over 300 Innovative Medical Products Enter Selection for VBEF 2024

Innovation is the core competitiveness in the medical field and the driving force behind the development of emerging enterprises. On the policy front, the “green channel” established by China’s National Medical Products Administration (NMPA) and the Breakthrough Therapy Designation offered by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) undoubtedly serve to endorse the value of innovative medical products. Driven by innovation, domestic brands are transitioning from “me-too” to “me-first,” with a surge of products that are first-of-their-kind both in China and globally. Amid this wave of innovative product launches, Chinese companies have gained a foothold on the global stage, competing alongside world-class enterprises, making global market strategy their second growth curve.

Innovative medical products and solutions serve as the most representative “business cards” for enterprises. Currently, these “cards” are scattered across various regions. Telling China’s story well and systematically showcasing the power of domestic innovation was a key mission of the VCBeat VBEF Future Healthcare Ecosystem Exhibition held in May this year. Leveraging the VCBeat VBEF Top 100 Future Healthcare “Top 100 Innovative Products in the Medical and Health Industry” list, the event highlighted China’s most innovative medical products to an international audience.

Amid the broader environment of medical insurance cost containment, centralized procurement, and intense industry competition, a company’s innovative capacity is the key to breaking through. At the national policy level, innovation in medical products is also encouraged; for instance, innovative medical devices that enter the National Medical Products Administration’s “green channel” benefit from accelerated approval and are temporarily excluded from centralized procurement. On the evening of March 13, a document circulated widely among biopharmaceutical professionals on social media platforms such as WeChat Moments and group chats. The core of this document lies in providing full-chain support for the development of innovative drugs, leveraging policy guidance and support to comprehensively promote key stages including R&D, regulatory approval, clinical use, and reimbursement. Innovation has already been elevated to a national strategic priority, serving as the foundation for enterprises to sustain high-quality development and enhance their international competitiveness.

Meanwhile, from the perspective of long-term corporate development strategy, enterprises possessing core technologies and innovative products undoubtedly enjoy first-mover advantages, maintain a robust and diverse product portfolio, and demonstrate greater market value, competitiveness, and higher returns. Global expansion of Chinese healthcare companies is currently a major trend; overseas markets pose a significant test for product innovation capabilities. Chinese domestic brands are breaking free from the limitation of “competing on low price” and achieving high-value global expansion.

The Future Healthcare Top 100 “Top 100 Innovative Products in the Medical and Health Industry” aims to identify and showcase innovative medical and health products and solutions that represent the most technologically advanced, high-value domestic alternatives, address unmet clinical needs, possess global competitiveness, and demonstrate prominent industry-leading effects in China and even globally. In the medical and health industry, innovative products are not limited to single devices or drugs; this selection also extends its focus to innovative solutions that empower the medical supply chain, as supply chain innovation is inseparable from the development of the healthcare industry.

To date, over 300 innovative enterprises have submitted applications for their innovation projects, covering sectors such as medical devices (including IVD), pharmaceuticals, digital health, consumer healthcare, and medical supply chain services., the high level of innovation is the biggest surprise of this registration.

Medical Device Sector

In the cardiovascular consumables market, where domestic production is relatively mature, applicant companies have transcended the limitations of homogenization by developing differentiated drug-coated balloons, peripheral balloons integrating multiple technologies, and innovatively designed thrombectomy stents.

In the high-barrier surgical robot market, applicant companies are focusing on deepening their expertise in specialized departments, further optimizing intelligence and automation, and launching innovatively designed ophthalmic, orthopedic, and laparoscopic surgical robots.

In the rapidly growing field of energy-based medical devices, applicant companies are guided by clinical needs to enable the application of technologies such as radiofrequency, microwave, plasma, and pulsed field ablation in large markets including oncology and orthopedics.

Furthermore, innovative products in the medical device sector also cover the CGM segment, where blockbuster products support a multi-billion-yuan market, and the endoscopy segment, which faces substantial clinical demand but still awaits domestic substitution of traditional reusable products.

Digital Healthcare Sector

AI-assisted diagnosis and treatment is one of the more mature and widely applied fields. With the growing clinical demand for precision medicine and the establishment of a digital ecosystem in operating rooms, the integration of AI-assisted diagnostic and therapeutic products with clinical medical devices has become increasingly tight. Products under regulatory review cover areas such as endoscopy-assisted diagnosis and treatment, and ultrasound-assisted diagnosis.

In the digital therapeutics sector, which has attracted numerous domestic and international players, commercialization challenges confront every participant. Beyond subsequent market readiness, it is essential to identify appropriate application markets and target customers at the outset of product design. Accordingly, applicant companies have developed products focused on key areas such as smoking cessation, cardiovascular disease management, and rehabilitation, driven by unmet clinical needs.

Furthermore, innovative products have also been submitted for approval in key areas such as surgical navigation and chronic disease management.

Medical Supply Chain Services Segment

The pace of medical product development and the costs associated with R&D and production directly impact their competitiveness. Services provided by upstream and downstream enterprises in the supply chain are also being continuously optimized, covering more critical nodes. Applicant companies provide product raw materials, R&D platforms, preclinical research services, and more to accelerate product development; some companies offer precision marketing and other services for medical products, driving their commercialization.

In the innovation projects currently under application,Over 70 products are global firsts and China debuts., filling a gap in the market; most of its medical device products have entered the National Medical Products Administration’s “Green Channel” for Innovative Medical Devices; many products have received FDA Breakthrough Device Designation; and numerous other products are serving as a core force in driving import substitution with domestically produced alternatives.

The 8th VCBeat VBEF Future Healthcare Ecosystem Exhibition will be held from May 7 to 10, 2024, at the Beijing·Beiren Yichuang International Convention and Exhibition Center.Centered on the needs of enterprises in the healthcare sector and focusing on the collaborative value across the industrial chain, we connect upstream, midstream, and downstream players in the medical and health industries. Through five core pillars—forums, exhibitions, rankings, awards, and launch events—we serve the entire spectrum of the biomedical, medical device, digital health, healthcare services, and medical commerce and supply chain service sectors, with a focus on global innovations in new products, technologies, services, ecosystems, and partnerships within the healthcare industry.

The exhibition will bring together the most representative innovative medical products in China, build an open international exchange platform, gather global innovators in the medical industry, and achieve "China's first creation, global debut." Everyone is welcome to register for the event, and you will gain:

1. Understand the innovative products and cutting-edge technologies that are first-of-their-kind or pioneered in the healthcare industry;

2. Attend the summit featuring industry luminaries to gain insights into innovative trends in the healthcare industry;

3. Interactive Exchanges and Business Negotiations: Stakeholders from the upstream and downstream of the medical industry chain, along with suppliers facilitating the global expansion of Chinese healthcare companies, will gather together. A diverse array of innovative medical enterprises, suppliers of raw materials and core components, pharmaceutical and medical device CXO service providers, healthcare investment institutions, and clinical experts will be present to meet you.

Registration QR Code Below:

1. An ultra-high-throughput sequencer that sets a new global record for single-instrument throughput, capable of performing up to 50,000 human whole-genome sequencing cases annually, with a per-case cost below $100

2. The world’s first multimodal tumor therapy, developed through the translation of research achievements by an interdisciplinary team at Shanghai Jiao Tong University, has been approved for market launch via the National Medical Products Administration’s green channel for innovative medical devices.

3. The world’s first QFR (Quantitative Flow Ratio) device for measuring fractional flow reserve, and the first image-based computational FFR technology validated by large-scale randomized controlled trials (RCTs).

4. The world’s first STAR-T cell therapy technology platform holds promise for overcoming solid tumors.

5. The world's smallest interventional artificial heart, uniquely certified for innovative medical devices in both China and the United States.

6. The world’s first handheld, all-in-one 12-lead ECG recorder, independently developed and certified with a medical device registration license.

7. The only drug globally that addresses the significant unmet clinical needs of patients who have progressed after immunotherapy; it is expected to become the first innovative drug in China to simultaneously submit new drug marketing applications in major developed countries worldwide in 2024, while also becoming the first pan-PI3K inhibitor approved for marketing in the field of solid tumors globally.

8. The world's first fiber-optic OCT and laser vitrectomy system for ophthalmology.

9. The world’s first device platform leveraging artificial intelligence to assist in endoscopic early cancer screening across the entire gastrointestinal tract, and also the world’s first AI-enabled clinical solution for digestive endoscopy, has obtained the National Class III Medical Device Registration Certificate.

10. The world’s first hydrogel product for radiation protection in cervical cancer radiotherapy.

11. The world’s first patented “anti-phase” electromagnetic field control technology.

12. The world's first single-cell fundus imaging system.

13. The world’s first balloon combining high pressure, drug coating, and scoring in one.

14. The world’s first polymer leaflet transcatheter aortic valve replacement (polymer TAVR) system.

15. Equipped with the world’s first spiral volumetric modulated arc therapy (VMAT) technology, offering a superior option for tumor radiotherapy.

16. The world’s first flow cytometry mass spectrometer for in vitro diagnostics.

17. The world’s first one-stop AI-powered super platform for new drug R&D.

18. The world's first intelligent graphene suspended moxibustion product that can replace traditional moxa materials.

19. The world’s first Class III active implantable medical device for the treatment of congenital nystagmus, poised to completely resolve therapeutic challenges associated with nystagmus, has entered the National Medical Products Administration’s “Green Channel.”

20. Internationally pioneered and implemented a tumor ablation technology integrating deep cryogenic freezing and high-intensity heating, and took the lead in developing a composite ablation needle with a diameter at the 1.7 mm level.

21. The world's first systematic AI solution for inhalation therapy.

22. The world's first and only self-balancing rehabilitation robot that does not require crutches.

23. A global first: the first truly intelligent orthopedic surgical robot system.

24. Mastered the core technologies of fan design, achieved forward design for the first time in China, and the overall performance has reached an internationally leading level.

25. China's first unattended, integrated smart solution for clinical laboratory specimen collection and logistics transport, specifically designed for hospital wards.

26. The first case in China and the second case globally of autologous iPS cell-derived replacement therapy for Parkinson’s disease; it is the first clinical study on iPS cell-derived therapy for Parkinson’s disease approved by China’s National Health Commission and National Medical Products Administration, and remains the only nationally filed clinical research project officially approved in China to date involving iPS cell-derived therapy for neurological diseases.

27. China's First Large-Scale, In-House Customized Vertical Model and Application for the Medical Industry at a Grade A Tertiary Hospital

28. The first fully automated molecular diagnostic product certified by China's National Medical Products Administration (NMPA).

29. The first domestically produced absorbable fluid hemostatic material, achieving domestic substitution in this sector.

30. As the first globally to achieve commercialization, this technology is internationally leading and a domestic first. It has scaled up lentiviral vector production to 100 times the capacity of existing methods, significantly enhancing production efficiency and product consistency while reducing production costs by over 80%.

31. China's first mobile X-ray machine that simultaneously meets the requirements for both G-arm and C-arm configurations.

32. The only comprehensive solution in China for hospital management decision support that applies disease risk adjustment to reasonably evaluate medical data analysis.

33. China’s First Digital Growth Solution for Medical Device Marketing with Deeply Integrated AI Technology.

34. The first intracardiac echocardiography imaging system in China to enter the National Medical Products Administration’s Green Channel for Innovative Medical Devices.

35. The first domestically produced artificial aortic graft in China.

36. The first MRD product in China to be independently developed through collaboration between a precision medicine company and a renowned international pharmaceutical enterprise, compliant with international standards, and fully validated by international pharmaceutical manufacturers.

37. The first companion diagnostic kit approved by the NMPA that was developed via a bridging pathway following the issuance of China’s guidelines on companion diagnostic reagents.

38. China's first approved digital therapy.

39. The first domestically produced single-molecule gene sequencer to obtain the EU CE mark, and also the world’s first single-molecule sequencer approved by the National Medical Products Administration for clinical diagnostic use.

40. China’s first fully automated cell preparation system compatible with both adherent and suspension cell culture.

41. China's first automated navigation and automated targeting fundus laser photocoagulation surgical system.

42. China’s first methane and hydrogen breath testing device adopting a “fixed-type + gas chromatography” configuration, compliant with both the international “gold standard” and Chinese national standards.

43. China’s first AI (Agnostic+Informed, Fixed+Customized) dual-drive strategy.

44. The first CGMS product in China to obtain EU MDR certification.

45. The world’s first domestically produced dental endodontic surgical navigation system to obtain a Class III medical device registration certificate, with its core navigation unit achieving domestic substitution in this sector.

46. The first innovative method in China for detecting RNA targets in fixed cells or tissues with high sensitivity and specificity has received regulatory approval and filing acceptance in China and from the FDA.

47. China's first portable inhaled nitric oxide (NO) therapy device, and also the world's first electrochemical catalytic NO therapy device.

48. The first domestically produced umbrella-shaped long-acting retrievable inferior vena cava filter has entered the “green channel” for special approval of innovative medical devices by the National Medical Products Administration, achieving significant innovative breakthroughs in product design, materials, and manufacturing processes.

49. China’s First Class III Registration Certificate for Helicobacter pylori Nucleic Acid Testing Based on Stool Samples

50. The first domestically developed fluorescent laparoscope with optical 3D imaging and 4K capabilities.

51. AI-assisted diagnostic and therapeutic system for digestive endoscopy based on deep learning technology, China’s first Class III medical device certification for real-time quality control and assisted diagnosis in digestive endoscopy.

52. The first digital therapeutic medical device certificate for ADHD treatment in China, filling the gap in the field of digital therapeutics for ADHD in China.

53. The PADN System for the Treatment of Pulmonary Hypertension, First Approved Globally in China.

54. In 2021, the domestic substitution rate for serum-free cell culture media exceeded 20%, with sales revenue ranking first among domestically produced culture media.

55. The first surgical robot from China to conduct clinical trials overseas.

56. China’s first innovative digital chronic disease management product launched by a medical institution, integrating wearable devices, online management teams, and offline medical institutions to provide customers with deeply customized and intelligent chronic disease management services.

57. The first and only domestically developed 4D intracardiac echocardiography (ICE) imaging device and system in China to achieve independent R&D of core components, including catheters, transducers, and main units.

58. The Initial Deployment of Large Language Models in Healthcare Settings

59. Proprietary core technology that breaks through the technical barriers of rapamycin-coated balloons, filling the gap in intracranial drug-coated balloon applications.

60. Capable of reducing the preclinical R&D cycle and costs for new drugs by 50% or more, the GLP-1RA small-molecule oral novel drug MDR-001, designed with the assistance of this platform, has entered Phase II clinical trials.

61. The world’s first integrated dual-arm ophthalmic robot to complete type testing.

62. The second irreversible electroporation device worldwide to receive CE certification and achieve clinical application.

63. Developed and designed based on the globally unique patented bonding platform technology in the field of clear aligner orthodontics, this solution integrates Angel Hooks with an ultra-large suspension angle into clear aligners, thereby facilitating anterior traction therapy in clear aligner orthodontics and expanding its indications.

64. An upgraded and innovative product of the “Intelligent Pressure-Controlled Lithotripsy, Irrigation, and Suction System for Endourological Stone Clearance,” which was approved through the National Medical Products Administration’s Green Channel for Innovative Medical Devices.

65. The Only Thrombectomy Stent System with Adjustable Ostium Size.

66. The only mesotherapy device to have won both the German iF Design Award and the German Red Dot Design Award.