Text, Photo/Yangcheng Evening News All Media Reporter Zhang Hua
“My happiness has overwhelmed my nervousness.” A new generation of innovative drugs for the treatment of fundus diseases – smaller The molecule bucilizumab has been approved for urgent clinical use in medical institutions in the Greater Bay Area. On March 27, 77-year-old Mr. Tian completed the first injection in the Greater Bay Area at Zhuhai Ximarin Shunchao Eye Hospital. When he received ophthalmic treatment in the hospital, he was very excited. “I’m very lucky and happy.”
It is understood that this move is to take advantage of the national policy – “Hong Kong and Macao equipment access”, to give priority to the use of international leading innovative drugs to treat fundus diseases for mainland patients. Allowing mainland patients to use the latest treatment technologies in the Greater Bay Area, in line with the international leading fundus disease solutions.
▲77-year-old Mr. Tian received the first injection of Bucizumab in the Greater Bay Area in Zhuhai
< p>I have been chasing this drug since the previous year, and this year finally got my wish
It is understood that Mr. Tian, the first injection patient, is 77 years old this year and was diagnosed with macular degeneration in both eyes in 2019. “After suffering from this eye disease, it hit me hard, because I am a sports lover, I was a torchbearer in the 2008 Olympic Games, and I was also a specially-appointed expert in China’s auto industry and a member of the Jilin Provincial Calligraphy Association. The decline has affected my life and work.” Mr. Tian learned that Zhuhai Xima Eye Hospital introduced Novartis’ Bucetizumab through the “Hong Kong-Macao Medicine Machine Link”, which gave him hope for treatment.
Through professional online consultation and the diagnosis of macular degeneration, Mr. Tian met the indications for Buccilizumab. Accompanied by his family, he came to Zhuhai Ximarin Shunchao on March 27th. The eye hospital received the first needle treatment.
“After getting macular degeneration, I have not stopped treatment. I have tried both Chinese and Western medicine, and my vision is slightly better, but my vision is still sharply declining. Today I got my wish. I feel very lucky to have the medicine. I have been aware of this medicine since the year before last, knowing that it has been listed in more than 70 countries and regions around the world, and has helped many patients with fundus diseases to regain their light. I began to pursue this medicine, from Changchun to Beijing, Shanghai, Boao and 301 Hospital in Hainan, I have not been able to find this medicine.” Mr. Tian said, “I feel very lucky, and at the same time, I also feel very happy.”
The number of patients with fundus diseases is rising rapidly, and innovative therapeutic drugs are urgently needed in clinical practice.
According to statistics, there are currently more than 30 million patients with fundus diseases in my country, and more than 3 million new patients with fundus diseases are added every year. At the same time, with the aging of the population and changes in lifestyle, age-related eye diseases and metabolic-related eye diseases have become increasingly prominent. Fundus diseases have become the main blinding eye diseases in my country, mostly occurring in people over 50 years old.
Professor Lin Shunchao, Secretary General of the Asia-Pacific Academy of Ophthalmology and Chairman of Hong Kong Cima International Ophthalmic Medical Group, said: “I am very pleased to take advantage of the national policy to give priority to the use of internationally leading innovative drugs to treat fundus diseases for mainland patients. In China, More than half of blind patients are caused by fundus diseases, among which wet age-related macular degeneration (wAMD) and diabetic macular edema (DME) are the most important factors. However, the use of existing anti-VEGF drugs can only allow about 50% of the treated patients to get effective edema and effusion subsidence and improve vision.”
This time, through the policy of “Hong Kong and Macao Medicine and Machinery”, innovation has been introduced. The drug bucilizumab, compared with traditional drugs, can absorb intraretinal fluid/subretinal fluid earlier, and only needs to be injected every 3 months after the loading period, which has obvious advantages in continuous improvement of anatomical structure. It showed better effusion control effect for wAMD and DME.
▲Chai Hongliang, deputy director of Zhuhai Municipal Health Bureau
Let ophthalmology patients be assured of use in Zhuhai and listed in Hong Kong and Macau High-quality medicines
The policy of “Hong Kong and Macao medicines and medicines” is very important, because it opens a window for patients in the mainland who need these medicines to have the opportunity to use advanced medicines through strict management methods. drug. It is reported that in August 2021, it was identified as one of the first five designated medical institutions in the Mainland, and in December, it obtained the approval for the first Yaojitong in Zhuhai.
It is worth noting that there are 3 million new patients with fundus diseases every year in my country, but only 20% may receive standard treatment. Zhao Yihua, a second-level researcher of the Zhuhai Market Supervision Administration, said that in November 2020, the “Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area Drug and Medical Device Supervision and Innovation Development Work Plan” was officially issued, of which “Hong Kong-Macao Drug-Device Link” was the one that residents paid the most attention to. policy. The implementation of this policy enables patients in the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area and even the whole country to take the lead in using high-quality overseas drugs and medical devices.
Next, the Zhuhai Market Supervision and Administration Bureau will continue to give strong support to the hospital, sort out the list of supporting systems, formulate supporting systems and management measures for the whole process of monitoring, and assist the hospital to make batches of urgently needed and irreplaceable clinical The advanced drugs and medical devices have been introduced into the Greater Bay Area to meet the needs of patients. At the same time, it is hoped that the hospital will continue to do a good job in the risk monitoring of drugs and medical devices, and provide patients with safe medication guarantees, so that more domestic ophthalmology patients can use the high-quality drugs marketed in Hong Kong and Macao with peace of mind in Zhuhai.