CANbridge to Collaborate with the Peking Union Medical College on Rare Disease Research

Chinese rare disease biotech CANbridge Pharmaceuticals and Peking Union Medical College Hospital have entered a rare disease research collaboration.

Photo: James Xue, founder, chairman and CEO of CANbridge

Under terms of the agreement, the two parties will collaborate on research and development in rare disease drug innovation, translational medicine, and clinical verification, leveraging their respective strengths to further improve the development of innovative rare disease drugs and drive medical research and the development of industrial systems for diagnosis and treatment.

“Working together, I believe we’ll be able to find a characteristically Chinese path for the development and innovation of rare disease treatments and to provide hope for patients with rare diseases and their families,” said James Xue, founder, chairman and CEO of CANbridge.

Founded in 1921, the Peking Union Medical College Hospital (PUMCH) is a modern hospital that, in addition to providing medical services, is also a teaching and research hospital. PUMCH is a national center designated by the National Health Commission (NHC) for guiding the diagnosis and treatment of intractable diseases and critical illness. It is also one of the first hospitals designated to provide healthcare services for government officials and foreigners, one of the national demonstration centers for higher medical education and the standard training of resident doctors, and one of the key national centers for clinical medical research and innovation. The hospital is known both in China and abroad for its full range of services strong human resources, prominent specialties, and overall strength.

PUMCH is also a leader in rare diseases. In 2016, PUMCH led the national key research program, the Clinical Cohort Study of Intractable and Rare Diseases, and built China’s National Registration System for Intractable and Rare Diseases, which became one of the largest platforms for information about rare diseases in the world. Within the framework of the NHC’s Expert Committee on the Clinical Care and Accessibility for Rare Diseases, PUMCH led top Chinese experts to draft China’s First List of Rare Diseases and compiled and published Interpretation of China’s First List of Rare Diseases, Guidelines for the Diagnosis and Treatment of Rare Diseases (the 2019 edition released by the NHC), and Rare Diseases, a textbook for graduate students during the 13th Five-Year Plan period. The hospital has also been driving technical training on the diagnosis and treatment of rare diseases across the country.

Currently, PUMCH is undertaking research projects of the State Key Laboratory of Rare Diseases, the National Center for Translational Medicine, the National Center of the National Collaborative Network for the Diagnosis and Treatment of Rare Diseases, and the National Center for the Quality Control of Rare Diseases. The hospital is building a national center for research and innovation with respect to the diagnosis and treatment of rare diseases with all the necessary clinical resources and expertise.

Author: Rare Daily Staff