Guangzhou-Chengdu Exchange Meeting on Mutual Recognition of Innovative Drugs and Medical Devices (Second Quarter)

On the morning of June 17,2026, the Second Quarter 2026 Guangzhou-Chengdu Clinical Application Exchange Conference for Innovative Drugs and Medical Devices was held at Chengdu Hospital of Integrated Traditional Chinese and Western Medicine. This promotional event was jointly organized by the Guangzhou Municipal Health Commission and the Chengdu Municipal Health Commission, with approximately 160 representatives from health authorities, medical institutions, and biopharmaceutical enterprises from both regions attending in person.

In March this year, Guangzhou and Chengdu officially launched the mutual recognition program for innovative pharmaceuticals and medical devices. The initial mutual recognition list includes 21 drugs and 44 medical devices from Guangzhou, as well as 27 innovative drugs and 27 innovative medical devices from Chengdu, achieving "city-specific recognition with cross-city sharing." The inaugural promotion event in the first quarter received enthusiastic responses, with several innovative products already entering the substantive phase of clinical application. Guangzhou and Chengdu complement each other's strengths in clinical research, technology transfer, and hospital-enterprise collaboration, jointly advancing the cross-regional distribution and clinical application of innovative pharmaceuticals and medical devices. The second-quarter promotion event represents another concrete step forward in the regular mutual recognition mechanism between the two cities, marking a further deepening of their strategic cooperation in the healthcare sector.

During the meeting, health authorities and medical institutions from both regions respectively presented policy guidelines and shared experiences regarding innovative drug and medical device research collaborations between hospitals and enterprises, clinical applications and studies, technology commercialization, and the development of research-oriented hospitals. Representatives from innovative pharmaceutical and medical device companies from both regions delivered product roadshows and demonstrated their achievements. The free exchange session provided a platform for targeted face-to-face communication between medical institutions and enterprises.

In recent years, Guangzhou has consistently adhered to institutional innovation to address the challenges in introducing innovative drugs and medical devices into clinical practice. The Municipal Health Commission has successively issued the "Ten Measures" and the "Twelve Measures," pioneering a mechanism requiring written justification for excluding innovative drugs and medical devices from procurement lists. It has mandated that pharmaceutical committees convene within one month, and failure to procure within two months must be reported. Additionally, it has fully abolished the limit on the total number of drug varieties and exempted nationally negotiated drugs from the "one product, two specifications" restriction. Meanwhile, Guangzhou established the nation's first government-led research-oriented hospital alliance, covering 18 leading high-level hospitals; launched real-world study projects under a competitive bidding system, continuously bridging key links between "research development, collaboration, and clinical application." Moving forward, the Guangzhou Municipal Health Commission will further deepen strategic coordination with the Chengdu Municipal Health Commission, promote shared clinical research resources, and enhance collaborative scientific innovation. It will also expand the application scenarios for innovative drugs and medical devices, intensify efforts to foster mutual empowerment and advancement between the biopharmaceutical industry and healthcare initiatives, and contribute more practical models to building a Healthy China.

During the open discussion session of this exchange event, representatives from the Guangzhou Medical Expo engaged in discussions with participants regarding the further implementation and clinical application of the mutual recognition mechanism for innovative pharmaceuticals and medical devices between Guangzhou and Chengdu, while promoting the 2026 Guangzhou Medical and Health Industry Expo scheduled for August. The mutual recognition mechanism for innovative pharmaceuticals and medical devices between Guangzhou and Chengdu continues to deepen, providing robust policy support for Chengdu-based biopharmaceutical companies seeking to expand into the Greater Bay Area market. We cordially invite medical institutions and biopharmaceutical enterprises in Chengdu to participate in the expo, leveraging its platform to enhance hospital-enterprise collaboration, facilitate technology transfer, precisely connect with high-quality resources within the Greater Bay Area, and jointly promote the coordinated and high-quality development of the innovative pharmaceutical and medical device industries in both cities.

Source | Guangzhou Municipal Health Commission