Brain-Computer Interface Device Approved and Included in Shanghai医保 Directory Within 10 Days: How Did It Achieve 'Shanghai Speed'?

(Source: Shanghai Observer)

On March 13, 2026, the website of the National Medical Products Administration announced the official approval of the innovative product registration application for the implantable brain-computer interface hand motor function compensation system by Neuracle Technology (Shanghai) Co., Ltd. This means that the world's first invasive brain-computer interface medical device has completed certification in China and has been approved for marketing.

Just a week later, after obtaining the brain-computer interface product catalog and coding released by the National Healthcare Security Administration, the Shanghai healthcare security department quickly reviewed it through a green channel. On March 23, in collaboration with the health authority, they completed the official documentation process, incorporating this innovative product into the city's medical insurance consumables catalog.

In recent years, innovative drugs and medical devices have been launched in Shanghai one after another. The city's medical insurance department has fully played its role in optimizing the business environment on the medical insurance side, closely focusing on Shanghai's goal of becoming the "most innovation-friendly city for global drugs and medical devices." It has facilitated a smooth full-chain transformation path for innovative achievements from "laboratory" to "bedside," injecting medical insurance momentum into the high-quality development of the biopharmaceutical industry with "Shanghai speed" and "Shanghai strength," driving...Innovative HealthcareTechnology accelerates implementation and benefits people's livelihood more quickly.

Shanghai "Acceleration"

The transformation and implementation of brain-computer interface products and technologies is a microcosm of how the city's medical insurance department has built a full-cycle innovation support system, enabling the transformation of innovative achievements to reach "Shanghai's accelerated speed."

Following the global debut and market launch of Neuracle's implantable brain-computer interface product approved by the National Medical Products Administration, the municipal medical insurance department promptly guided the company to apply for the classification and coding of medical consumables under the national medical insurance system. They proactively communicated with the National Healthcare Security Administration to expedite the approval process while simultaneously preparing the full-scale backend work within the city.

At the same time, the city's medical insurance department further optimized the listing process for innovative pharmaceuticals and medical devices, guiding companies to establish clear application pathways. Brain-computer interface related products completed the listing on the Sunshine Procurement Platform on March 24, providing efficient and convenient support for clinical use in hospitals.

Behind this efficient process is the long-term attention of the municipal medical insurance department to the field of brain-computer interface, a medical innovation.

Since 2024, the municipal medical insurance department has been continuously following up on the research and development progress, technical features, and product approval matters of several key brain-computer interface enterprises in the city. Focusing on the core needs of these enterprises, it has proactively organized the medical insurance support policies and procedures for innovative medical devices, providing companies with clear policy expectations. This forward-leaning policy support aims to accelerate the transition of brain-computer interface technology from laboratory to clinical application.

In November 2024, Shanghai successfully completed the first clinical trial implantation surgery of a brain-computer interface product, helping patients with spinal cord injuries achieve hand grasping through mind control and significantly improving their ability to live independently. This marks an important breakthrough for Shanghai in the frontier medical technology field of brain-computer interfaces.

During this period, the municipal medical insurance department has been closely monitoring the clinical application progress of brain-computer interface in medical institutions, comprehensively sorting out key issues such as policy alignment in the clinical application of brain-computer interface technology, and proactively providing policy guidance and service support. With concrete actions, they are practicing the work orientation of "Where there is a clinical need, medical insurance services will follow."

In August 2025, the municipal medical insurance department, in collaboration with the Health Commission, proactively laid out plans and implemented precise policies. They added three medical service projects related to brain-computer interface, establishing a policy pathway for the standardized implementation of cutting-edge medical technologies and bridging the critical gap between technological breakthroughs and widespread clinical application.

"We will continue to study the inclusion of brain-computer interface medical services into the scope of medical insurance payments, promoting the faster clinical application of innovative technologies and benefiting a wide range of patients," said a relevant official from the municipal medical insurance department.

Activate New Momentum in the Industry

Not limited to brain-computer interfaces, in recent years, the municipal medical insurance department has integrated innovative concepts into every aspect of medical insurance work, continuously optimizing medical insurance services and policy provision. Innovative support measures have been fully extended to cover all fields of the biopharmaceuticals industry.

On the one hand, the city's medical insurance department focuses on cutting-edge fields such as brain-computer interfaces and AI + medicine, strongly supporting the development of "true innovation" technologies and encouraging innovative medical services to be implemented as soon as possible; on the other hand, it continuously optimizes the medical insurance access process for innovative medical devices, promoting the rapid transformation of innovative achievements, allowing Shanghai's scientific and technological innovations to better serve patients across China.

To accelerate the application and promotion of innovative products, in 2022, the municipal biopharmaceutical industry authority, led by the Municipal Health Commission, the Municipal Medical Insurance Bureau, and the Shenkang Center, established a green channel mechanism to support the inclusion of locally produced new drugs in hospital applications — The Shanghai Biomedical "New and Excellent Medical Devices and Pharmaceuticals" Product Catalog. By the end of 2025, the Catalog has released seven batches, incorporating 220 products, with total product sales increasing year by year, significantly promoting their adoption in hospitals.

In terms of innovative drugs, by 2025, nine Class 1 innovative drugs in the city have been approved for marketing, ranking second in China, with 12 New Drug Applications (NDA) for Class 1 innovative drugs. Regarding innovative medical devices, nine innovative medical devices in the city have been approved for marketing, ranking fourth in China; 24 have entered the special review process for innovative medical devices in China, ranking second in the country.

Since the beginning of this year, Shanghai has held two promotional events centered on newly added national negotiation innovative drugs. Representatives from the government, hospitals, and pharmaceutical companies have had a more direct channel to sit together, discuss new products, and explore new opportunities.

The city's medical insurance department stated that in the future, it will continue to deepen reform and innovation in the medical insurance field, with greater efforts and more practical measures to support technological breakthroughs and industrial development in the cutting-edge areas of biomedicine. It aims to facilitate more "Shanghai-made" innovative medical technologies to move from laboratories to patients' bedsides, contributing medical insurance strength to building Shanghai into a highland of biomedical industry innovation with global influence. This way, the fruits of medical insurance reform and innovation can benefit a wider population more equitably.

Original Title: "Approved for Market Entry and Included in the Medical Insurance Catalogue within Ten Days: How Did Brain-Computer Interface Achieve 'Acceleration' in Shanghai?"

Column Editor: Zhang Jun Title Image Source: Shangguan Title Image

Source: Author: Lin Zilu, Liberation Daily