World
The promise of China-U.S. medical cooperation
By Zhao Wei  ·  2024-08-19  ·   Source: NO.34 AUGUST 22, 2024
The inauguration of the international Multidisciplinary Treatment medical center at the Arion Cancer Center in Beijing on August 8 (COURTESY PHOTO)

In October 2022, Megan (alias), a 35-year-old South African residing in Beijing, received life-changing news during a routine physical examination. Doctors discovered tumors in both of her ovaries, one of which was larger than an adult's fist.

Confronted with the diagnosis, Megan sought treatment at the Arion Cancer Center (ACC), a private oncology hospital in Beijing. After a three-hour surgery that November, the medical team successfully removed the tumors from both ovaries. To Megan's immense relief, not only were the tumors eradicated, but the surgeons had also managed to preserve her fertility—a concern that had weighed heavily on her mind.

Science for treatment

Central to Megan's successful treatment was ACC's Multidisciplinary Treatment (MDT) approach. Originating in the United States during the 1990s, the MDT concept involves a collaborative working group comprising experts from different departments, including surgery, oncology, radiotherapy, imaging and pathology. These doctors focus on specific diseases and, through regular consultations, develop optimal treatment plans tailored to individual patients. The plans are then implemented by the related disciplines, either individually or in combination.

In essence, MDT can be likened to a vast network with the patient at its center, each doctor representing a node on this web. This structure provides patients with round-the-clock, real-time protection; even the slightest change in condition can be swiftly communicated to any point within the network.

This August, the ACC advanced its approach by establishing an MDT medical center in collaboration with experts overseas, enabling international consultations through remote networks. This new platform allows patients to access international diagnostic services without having to travel abroad.

According to Hu Lan, the center's founder and CEO, up to 830,000 patients from China opt for treatment in the United States every year, with 80 percent suffering from tumor-related diseases. However, the journey to overseas medical treatment is fraught with challenges. Patients face not only high medical costs but also often fail to complete the necessary examinations and preparations before departure due to information asymmetry, in turn leading to inefficiencies in the medical process.

More critically, many patients seeking second opinions overseas discover that, without the involvement of domestic doctors, many treatment plans are difficult to implement locally, further delaying vital treatment timelines.

"By integrating top-tier expert resources from both China and abroad, we achieve real-time, whole-process joint diagnosis and treatment," Hu said at the MDT medical center's inauguration on August 8.

International medical cooperation, particularly in remote or mobile healthcare, is not a new concept. A decade ago, think tank scholars from China and the U.S. already explored ways to use mobile technology to improve the efficiency of healthcare services, enhance information-sharing capabilities, reduce medical costs and boost treatment outcomes.

In May 2014, the China Academy of Telecommunication Research, subordinate to the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology, and the Brookings Institution, a Washington, D.C.-based public policy organization, jointly released a research paper titled mHealth [mobile health] in China and the United States. The study examined the developments, challenges and opportunities for mobile healthcare in both countries. Additionally, it proposed a roadmap for developing mHealth programs within each nation. Today, this forward-thinking vision is steadily becoming a reality.

"Together, we will broaden opportunities for Chinese patients to gain access to top physicians and healthcare teams for cancer and other serious illnesses in Beijing and throughout the world, including consultants in the U.S. and Western Europe," Marc Shuman said via video link at the inauguration. Shuman, a professor emeritus of medicine and former chief of the Division of Hematology and Oncology at the University of California, San Francisco, is also one of the ACC's international MDT medical center experts.

Room for the future

Since President Richard Nixon's historic 1972 visit to China, scientific collaboration between China and the U.S. has flourished, particularly in health and medicine. In early 1980, a U.S. delegation visited China, which consisted of representatives from the country's Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and directors of the National Institutes of Health and the Department of Health and Human Services. The mission promoted cooperation in public health research and services.

This effort, supported by Chinese government departments and academicians, quickly fostered joint programs in public health research and services. Over the next four decades, the relationship between Chinese and U.S. health research institutions

strengthened considerably. In the 1990s, joint research on folic acid prevention of neural tube defects provided key data in support of mandatory folic acid fortification policies in the U.S.

Nongovernmental institutions have played an increasingly important role in promoting health exchange and cooperation between China and the U.S. The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, for instance, has partnered with a range of sectors in China to address global health challenges. Since 2015, it has worked with the Chinese Ministry of Commerce to support medical and agricultural development in African nations. In 2016, the foundation partnered with Tsinghua University and the Beijing Municipal Government to establish the Global Health Drug Discovery Institute, which promotes health initiatives in developing countries.

Since 2017, the China-U.S. Health Track II Dialogue has emerged as a platform for bilateral health cooperation. Co-hosted by the National School of Development at Peking University and the National Committee on U.S.-China Relations, this annual event facilitates extensive discussion between health experts from both nations.

The ninth round of this dialogue took place in Tianjin Municipality, north China, on June 16-17. It gathered 21 top experts from China and the U.S., all leaders in health policy research and practice. The participants engaged in in-depth discussions on major healthcare issues and potential solutions, with the goal of enhancing capabilities and fostering cooperation between the two countries in addressing global health challenges.

In the commercial realm of healthcare, China and the U.S. have forged a relationship that is more complementary than competitive. Globalized biotech companies like BeiGene and Boyalife in China, and Amgen and Merck in the U.S., have adopted transnational business models that capitalize on the unique strengths of each nation's bio-pharma ecosystem. American pharmaceutical companies benefit from China's huge patient population for efficient clinical trials, while Chinese-developed cancer drugs offer affordable alternatives to American patients. The frequent cross-licensing of technologies and the diverse composition of executive teams, which often include experts with experience in both countries, further underscore this symbiotic relationship.

This deep integration within the biopharmaceutical sector stresses the potential for mutually beneficial partnerships between China and the U.S., illustrating how scientific collaboration can thrive even amid broader geopolitical complexities.

On June 28, Chinese Ambassador to the United States Xie Feng addressed a breakfast meeting of the Advanced Medical Technology Association, the largest medical technology industry organization in the U.S. Representing 80 percent of U.S. medical device and diagnostic product companies, the association has over 450 members, including many Fortune 500 enterprises.

In his speech, Xie emphasized the vast potential for China-U.S. cooperation in the medical and healthcare sectors. He highlighted China's commitment to public health as a cornerstone of its modernization efforts and progress toward building a healthier nation. Citing a report from international consulting firm Roland Berger, Xie noted that China's medical device market is projected to reach $320 billion by 2030, potentially becoming the largest in the world.

The ambassador also pointed to China's rapidly aging population, expected to exceed 300 million people over the age of 60 by 2035, and its expanding middle-income group, projected to surpass 800 million within the next 15 years. These demographic shifts, he explained, are driving a surge in demand for high-quality pharmaceuticals and healthcare services, creating unprecedented opportunities for related businesses in both countries.

(Print Edition Title: For a Healthier Future)

Copyedited by Elsbeth van Paridon

Comments to zhaowei@cicgamericas.com

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