Innovative Medical Solutions Accelerated by CIIE: From Global Debut to Widespread Adoption Across Urban and Rural China

SHANGHAI, Jan. 4th (Xie Mengyuan) -- The world's smallest pacemaker, Micra, is a popular exhibit of the American medical company Medtronic. This star exhibit of the China International Import Expo (CIIE) debuted at the first CIIE in 2018 and was officially approved for marketing by the National Medical Products Administration of China the following year.

As a "full-time participant" that has continuously attended the CIIE for eight years, what Medtronic has gained through this platform is far more than just attention and communication influence — more crucially, it includes products like the Micra pacemaker.Innovative HealthcareThe product has entered the "fast track" to the Chinese market at the CIIE.

Before the CIIE came into being, most patients learned about possible treatments for their ailments through clinical platforms such as hospitals. The CIIE, however, has built a bridge for direct communication with medical technology companies, where they can not only learn about innovative drugs driven by cutting-edge technology but also access groundbreaking therapies that have not yet been launched in China.

After accompanying the CIIE for many years, what impressed Gu Yushao, Global Senior Vice President of Medtronic and President of Greater China, the most is — patients discover cutting-edge medical products at the exhibition, learn about the latest treatment options, and thus gain earlier access to innovative products, which in turn transforms their lives.

"The story of the Micra pacemaker is quite representative. Thanks to the exhibition at the CIIE booth, this product caught the attention of industry insiders, allowing it to advance more quickly into the clinical promotion stage. The beneficiaries cover an extremely wide age range, from children as young as four or five years old to elderly people over ninety. The product has even been successfully implanted in Shigatse, Tibet, at an altitude of 3,800 meters."

What impressed Gu Yushao was that a young patient, after getting up close with the Micra pacemaker at the CIIE, proactively communicated with his doctor about undergoing implantation. After the successful surgery, he went on to live a normal life and even took on extreme sports like skydiving. "Seeing him chase his dreams and fill his life with meaning, I truly feel that the CIIE is not just a simple exhibition, but the 'shortest path' connecting innovation with life."

Best First Exhibition Venue

At the CIIE, Medtronic showcased approximately 500 globally leading therapies, of which more than 70 were global, Asia-Pacific, or China "premieres," and currently, there are over 30 star products that have benefited from the CIIE spillover effect. "For the medical industry, clinical application is the most important," said Gu Yushao, who deeply appreciates the powerful spillover effects of the CIIE. Since the Micra pacemaker was launched in 2019, it has been clinically applied in more than 900 hospitals in China, truly transitioning from the "CIIE exhibition hall" to "patients' bodies."

Wu Liqun, Director of the Cardiology Department at Ruijin Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, who participated in China's first batch of leadless pacemaker implant surgeries, introduced that since its debut at the CIIE in 2018, followed by approval from the National Medical Products Administration (NMPA) in 2019 and completion of 38 clinical implants, to over 5,000 implants nationwide by 2024, Medtronic’s Micra has progressively achieved a leapfrog development from "debut" to "implementation," and further to "large-scale application" through the CIIE platform.

Apart from pacemakers, other innovative products from Medtronic are also accelerating their entry into the Chinese market, driven by the China International Import Expo (CIIE). At the third CIIE, the Symplicity Spyral RDN system for drug-resistant hypertension made its "China debut," introducing Chinese doctors and patients to new possibilities in interventional hypertension treatment for the first time. Just five months later, the system completed its first surgery in China at the Boao Lecheng International Medical Tourism Pilot Zone in Hainan (the first medical special zone in China to apply real-world data to the regulatory approval reform of pharmaceuticals and medical devices), achieving the "CIIE speed" from "first exhibit to first implant." Subsequently, at the sixth CIIE, Medtronic signed a strategic cooperation agreement with partners to promote the system's implementation in the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area, leveraging the "Hong Kong-Macau Medical Device Access" policy.

From Urban to Rural

The CIIE is not only a stage for product display but also a bridge for demand matching. Medtronic's localized innovations can more accurately align with the practical needs of China’s healthcare system through the CIIE, achieving full-chain implementation "from exhibition booths to clinical settings, and from cities to counties and towns across China."

"Our secondary market focuses on the county and township level. Through the CIIE, we have received many clients from下沉 markets who usually have fewer opportunities to be exposed to global innovative concepts and therapies. After visiting the CIIE, they proactively seek cooperation opportunities," said Gu Yushao. He introduced that in terms of coverage in基层 and non-public medical sectors, Medtronic showcases comprehensive solutions at the CIIE, promoting cooperation with Taikang,New MilestoneNon-public medical groups such as Medtronic deepen cooperation, and quickly implement lightweight medical solutions in grassroots hospitals, covering more cities and counties.

"Originally, we had a 'one-to-one' model, meaning we collaborated with one established partner hospital; if hospitals in lower-tier markets wanted access to therapies or devices, they would need to connect through layers of对接 (connections). Now, with many hospitals visiting the CIIE, the number of potential direct partners has increased, and the cooperation model has shifted to 'N-to-one,' allowing medical advancements to benefit more patients more quickly," said Gu Yushao.

The CIIE continues to leverage its platform to break down barriers to the circulation of medical resources, providing a fast track for multinational companies to establish roots in the Chinese market while also serving as an important pillar for promoting access to high-quality medical services and safeguarding the health of grassroots communities. This event is not only the "launchpad" for global innovative medical products entering China but also a vital "accelerator" in bringing cutting-edge medical technologies to Chinese patients faster and driving the high-quality development of the pharmaceuticals and healthcare industry. (END)