7 August 2023
If there is a silver lining from the past few years, it is the collective realisation that it is never too late to invest in one’s health. The awareness and advocacy for physical and mental well-being have reset people’s priorities and daily habits, and this eagerness across all ages to adopt a healthier lifestyle has been encouraging. The University has always taken great pride in being one of the forerunners in health-related research. For many years, our HKBU experts in Chinese medicine have been steadfastly translating traditional Chinese medicinal wisdom into innovative treatments and pharmaceutical products, leveraging and innovating technologies to make well-informed medical decisions.
HKBU has recently made an unprecedented and ground-breaking milestone, which will go far in the standardisation and internationalisation of Chinese medicine and making tangible improvements to people’s well-being. Our Centre for Chinese Herbal Medicine Drug Development (CDD) has developed the first botanical drug that is authorised by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for clinical trial. Marking the first time ever that a botanical drug from Hong Kong has been recognised by the FDA, this bears immense significance for the city as we strive for local and international recognition of the efficacy of Chinese medicine.
The botanical drug CDD-2101 will be used to ease chronic constipation, a common gastrointestinal disorder that affects more than 14% of the world population. CDD-2101 will first undergo a phase I clinical trial which will be completed in 2024, followed by a phase II study to collect the safety and efficacy data from patients with chronic constipation. It will be completed with a large-scale phase III study to further evaluate its treatment efficacy and monitor side effects. Apart from enhancing our credibility as a pioneer in Chinese medicine, the clinical trial will also provide us with invaluable experience when we conduct clinical trials at Hong Kong’s first Chinese Medicine Hospital in future.
Over the years, HKBU has spared no effort in promoting the development of Chinese medicine and conducting cutting-edge scientific and translational research. This laborious journey speaks of CDD’s dedication, research excellence, and patient-centric approach in enhancing our quality of life via better therapeutics. Through the tireless efforts of our research experts and frontline practitioners in the community clinics, we have earned the trust of the public. It is especially gratifying to see the work of HKBU scholars and researchers making an impact on improving the lives of millions of people who suffer from chronic conditions, and receiving global validation for their remarkable achievements. Allow me to therefore take this opportunity to also congratulate Professor Bian Zhaoxiang, Associate Vice-President (Chinese Medicine Development), Director of the Clinical Division of the School of Chinese Medicine, and Director of the CDD, and his team for successfully developing Hong Kong’s first botanical Investigational New Drug (IND) approved by the FDA for clinical trial, and sharing HKBU’s unique value proposition to the world. Click here to see what our mastermind of the project has to share.
The focus on healthy living and the epiphany to be health-conscious have inspired our research and development teams to innovate with solutions that make a difference. Another common chronic condition is that of the fatty liver disease. There is still no known panacea and to-date, making dietary and lifestyle changes have helped mitigate this unsuspecting condition. A research project led by HKBU titled “Dysregulated Host – Gut Microbiota Co-Metabolism in Metabolic Associated Fatty Liver Disease” has recently been awarded over HK$7.2 million in research funding from the Theme-based Research Scheme under the Research Grants Council (RGC). This one-year exploratory funding will enable the research team to produce preliminary results with far-reaching and promising implications for the study of gut microbiota metabolism and improving people’s well-being in the long run.
The pursuit of excellence and the quest for creating impact have always guided our work in improving the health and well-being of the public. Going forward, we will leverage our unique strengths and heritage to push the frontiers of Chinese medicine. HKBU will continue to play a strategic role in the standardisation and internationalisation of Chinese medicine as we illustrate and advance the efficacy of Chinese medicine through scientific and transdisciplinary research.