Global medical firms utilize opportunity to launch products

Illumina's MiSeq™ i100 Series products attract visitors at the CIIE in Shanghai. ZOU HONG/CHINA DAILY

The seventh China International Import Expo, which opened in Shanghai on Tuesday, has proved to be a premier platform for medical companies from around the globe to showcase their state-of-the-art technologies illustrated by a slew of exhibits making global or regional debuts.

Illumina, a United States-headquartered company specializing in DNA sequencing and array-based technologies, is showcasing MiSeq™ i100 Series, its simplest and fastest benchtop sequencer for both research and clinical sequencing use at CIIE, marking the global debut of the device.

Achieving an impressive sequencing speed of a minimum of four hours and leveraging the innovative advantages of reagent storage and transportation at room temperature, the device provides a streamlined push-button sequencing workflow applicable to microbiology, infectious diseases and oncology.

To accelerate localization of the innovative product and unlock its vast application potential, Illumina signed contracts with the first batch of local customers, including Westlake University in Hangzhou city, Zhejiang province, at the CIIE.

At the booth of US-based Gilead Sciences, Seladelpar, a rare disease drug approved recently in the US to treat primary biliary cholangitis, an autoimmune disease that can lead to liver failure, is making its China debut.

Gilead Sciences is also showcasing its oncology R&D pipeline, including four potential oncology indications expected to be approved in China by the end of 2027. The latest progress of how the company's 11 "star" therapies have benefited patients is being highlighted at the booth as well. Such therapies cover HIV prevention and treatment, viral hepatitis, oncology and antifungal fields.

Focusing on core health issues, including cancers, cardiovascular and cerebrovascular diseases, and healthy aging, Johnson & Johnson has brought a variety of cutting-edge products and solutions to the CIIE. Two of them are making their global debut and more than 10 their China debut.

Johnson & Johnson MedTech PRONOVA, a new generation of monofilament nonabsorbable suture, is being showcased in China for the first time. Mainly made of polyvinylidene difluoride and its copolymers, the soft suture can form tighter knots and is suitable for minimally invasive cardiovascular surgery.

At its CIIE booth, the company also announced the China market launch of TECVAYLI®, an injection to treat relapsed or refractory multiple myeloma, which has the second-highest incidence rate among all blood cancers in China. It is the world's first bispecific antibody to treat the disease, and the first of such that has been marketed in China.

Organon, which is exhibiting its full spectrum of reproductive health solutions at CIIE, leverages the expo to explore women's reproductive health innovations, addressing the evolving needs of Chinese families as the average age of first-time mothers rises.

Currently under development, SJ02, a long-acting recombinant human follicle-stimulating hormone-CTP fusion protein injection, is expected to become the first long-acting FSH in the country upon approval, expanding fertility options and enhancing treatment flexibility for families, according to the company.

"Shifts in population structure affect us all, and the company's commitment is clear: to advance innovative solutions that support fertility and tackle broader women's and families' health challenges," said Zafer Unluer, president of Organon China. "Through the CIIE platform, we aim to accelerate global innovations in China, and also bring Chinese innovations to the world. We're dedicated to creating solutions that take root and make a lasting difference, for China and beyond."