On January 4th, Boao Lecheng International Medical Tourism Pilot Zone of Hainan Free Trade Port (hereinafter referred to as “Lecheng Pilot Zone”) and Hainan Provincial Information Office held a press conference, officially announcing that Lecheng has imported more than 200 first-in-class licensed drugs and devices, taking the lead in basically realizing the "three synchronizations" of medical technology, equipment and medicines with the international advanced level in China, and indicating that Lecheng Pilot Zone has officially entered a new stage of high-quality development.

“The constant release of the vitality of reform and development makes “three synchronizations" with the international advanced level basically come true

In recent years, Lecheng Pilot Zone has placed the system integration and innovation in a prominent position, insisted on reform and innovation, dared to try and formed joint efforts of reform and development with the Health Commission of Hainan Province, Hainan Medical Products Administration, Haikou Customs and other authorities to accelerate the implementation of a number of preferential policies, and continuously release the vitality and motivation of reform and development so as to release the benefits of core policies such as the licensed use of international innovative drugs and devices.
It is reported that Lecheng has imported more than 200 first-in-class licensed drugs and devices up to now, which include 39 cancer drugs, 38 rehabilitation devices, 31 ophthalmic devices and 28 cardiac devices, initially establishing some “knock-out” departments such as ophthalmology, rehabilitation, oncology department, cardiology department, otolaryngology department, plastic surgery department and orthopedics department. In addition, the number of patients using licensed drugs and devices increased by 454% on a year-on-year basis in 2021, attracting the returned overseas medical consumption. Lecheng Pilot Zone provides an eye-catching transcript. Gu Gang, Party Secretary and Director of Lecheng Pilot Zone Administration, pointed out that in the past two years, Lecheng Pilot Zone had focused on the three major missions of “Providing Chinese people with the world's most advanced drugs and devices as soon as possible, promoting the development of China's health industry and facilitating the reform of China's healthcare undertakings", by attaching attention to the five essential elements for the development of medical parks, namely, hospitals, doctors, patients, advanced medical devices and drugs and supervision, taking system integration and innovation as the starting point, actively playing the role of exploring and practicing the “Try First” policy, introducing internationally innovative medical devices and drugs that are clinically needed, promoting the pilot application of clinical real-world data, and pushing forward the high-quality development of Lecheng.

Lecheng develops from a "policy highland" to a "platform highland" for industrial agglomeration by fostering a fertile land for entrepreneurship

Boao Lecheng, as a key park and a major functional platform for the construction of Hainan Free Trade Port, is the main carrier of Hainan Free Trade Port policies and one of the incubators that apply the pilot policies. The pilot “policy highland” has activated the "engine" for a new round of high-quality development of Lecheng Pilot Zone. Lecheng Pilot Zone presents a more active and vigorous atmosphere for reform and development with the repaid agglomeration of public, private and other high-quality medical resources.

It is learned that at present, 20 medical institutions have been built and operated, over 10 projects are under construction or under preparation, and 51 teams of academicians and experts have been signed. With the increasing international popularity, Lecheng Pilot Zone has established contacts with nearly 80 medical device and pharmaceutical enterprises in 18 countries and regions, and established deep cooperation with all Top 30 medical device and pharmaceutical enterprises in the world, becoming one of the most important channels for international innovative medical device and pharmaceutical enterprises to enter China.
It is worth mentioning that Hainan International Medical Center of Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine settled in Lecheng last month, Ruijin Hainan Hospital & Boao Research Hospital have been put into trial operation and will start its official operation at the beginning of the year. West China Lecheng Hospital was capped last month and is expected to open and put into use by the end of this year.

Entrusted by Gu Gang, Party Secretary and Director of Lecheng Pilot Zone Administration, Lyu Xiaolei, Party Member and Executive Deputy Director of Lecheng Pilot Zone Administration, made a release on the site. She said, “With the implementation of preferential policies such as licensed use of drugs and devices, and the settlement of Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, multinational medical device and pharmaceutical enterprises, Ruijin, West China Hospital, Shulan Hospital and other high-quality resources in Lecheng, an industrial ecosystem framework of ‘Industry-University-Research’ has been initially set up in the Lecheng Pilot Zone, which indicates that Lecheng has started to move towards a new stage of high-quality development. Lecheng is moving from a “policy highland” to a “platform highland”, accelerating the formation of industrial agglomeration and branding effect.”
“Lecheng does run at its speed not only with respect to the landing of innovative medical devices and drugs, but also in terms of the agglomeration of high-quality resources, indicating that Lecheng had found a differentiated development route combining Hainan's unique resource advantages, and the market players in the whole industrial chain respond positively, develop in an integrated manner and share opportunities and resources brought by the Chinese market.” Lyu Xiaolei added.

Continuous opening-up and innovation opens a new chapter for the high-quality development of Lecheng

Behind the first breakthrough of 200 varieties of licensed drugs and devices, it is also the epitome of Hainan Free Trade Port to further optimize the business environment. Over the past two years, the Health Commission of Hainan Province, Haikou Customs, Hainan Medical Products Administration and other authorities have positively taken actions and assumed their responsibilities. In September last year, the Several Measures for Further Optimizing Supervisory Services to Support the High-quality Development of Hainan Boao Lecheng International Medical Tourism Pilot Zone was jointly issued, which further simplified the examination and approval process of clinically urgently needed imported drugs and medical devices, optimized the examination and approval mode, improved the efficiency of supervisory services, realized the transformation from "patients waiting for drugs and devices" to "drugs and devices waiting for patients", and significantly improved the enthusiasm of international drug and device manufacturers and medical institutions in the park. Thanks to the concerted efforts of multiple authorities, the constant release of Lecheng’s license policy vitality further speeds up the application of imported drugs and devices that are in clinically urgent need, and gives patients a better medical experience.
Wu Xiaobiao, Level I director of Haikou Customs, introduces that Haikou Customs will actively facilitate the implementation of the “Zero Tariff” policy that has been granted to Hainan Free Trade Port within the enterprises in Lecheng Pilot Zone. The third list of zero-tariff commodities issued to Hainan Free Trade Port at the early stage——the "zero tariff" policy of self-use production equipment was implemented in Lecheng Pilot Zone. The next step will utilize more quality services to add new momentum to the high-quality development of Boao Lecheng International Medical Tourism Pilot Zone.
Li Wenxiu, member of the Party Committee and deputy director of the Health Commission of Hainan Province, said that the provincial health commission would actively implemented the preferential policies such as "State Nine Policies", constantly innovate the supervision mode, promote the close cooperation between private medical institutions and public medical institutions in the park, and push forward the continuous improvement of medical level in the pilot zone. Next, the commission will actively introduce more high-quality medical resources to promote the comprehensive and coordinated development of "medical teaching and research" in Lecheng.

Zhu Ning, Party Secretary and Director of Hainan Medical Products Administration, said that the Administration has always insisted on putting public health first, constantly expanding the applicability and accessibility of the drug and device licensing policy, and continuously make new achievement in accelerating the approval of licensed medical devices and drugs. In the future, the Administration will provide guarantee and support for Lecheng's development with system integration and innovation and more efficient and high-quality supervision, and make our contribution to the construction of a new development pattern of domestic and international double circulation in Hainan Free Trade Port.

Peter A. Bootsma, Senior International Affairs Officer of Lecheng Pilot Zone Administration, said that with the increasing international influence of Lecheng Pilot Zone in recent years, and the reform benefits continuously released and the speed of innovation, many international pharmaceutical manufacturers are optimistic about the development prospects of Lecheng and look forward to in-depth cooperation with Lecheng. Next, Lecheng will introduce more international medical resources to promote the development of international medical tourism and medical services at a high level of openness.

The year 2022 is a crucial year for the implementation of the 14th Five-Year Plan, and a crucial year for the construction of Hainan Free Trade Port. Lecheng Pilot Zone will always stay to the original aspiration of becoming a great nation and practicing the initial intention of serving the people's health, further deepen the system integration and innovation, provide “Lecheng’s solution” and Hainan’s wisdom for the health of the whole country, and assist in the construction of Hainan Free Trade Port with high quality and high standards.