A national political advisor believes China needs to strengthen the protection of its core technology in medical science while improving national innovative abilities.

Luo Yongzhang, a member of the National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC) and professor of the School of Life Sciences of Tsinghua University, told China.org.cn: "The core technology in the field of medicine is a hotly contested spot for the biological industry in the future."

He pointed out, "It is imperative to strengthen the protection of core technologies in biomedicine and comprehensively improve China's innovative capabilities."

"Innovative medicine development often faces fierce competition. Usually, it takes an average of 15 years to develop a new drug, while spending a billion or even billions of yuan, and involving the work of hundreds of people. If the protection fails, the consequences will be disastrous -- wasting enterprise investment, dampening the innovation enthusiasm of the entire pharmaceutical industry, endangering national interests and security, and weakening the country's external competitiveness," he said.

He said that though China has more than 7,000 pharmaceutical companies, many of them are producing generic drugs.

Luo was also concerned that, in the legislation and practice of drug registration and review, insufficient attention has been paid to the protection of key core technologies. 

"It may give access to some to take advantage as they are motivated by huge commercial interests to unscrupulously obtain the key core technologies of competitors, and leaks happen from time to time."

Luo suggested relevant medicine supervision departments should promptly revise and update industry laws and regulations so that related national laws and regulations can be fully implemented and reflected. 

The political advisor also appealed in his proposal to tighten management and supervision over the full process of medicine registry and evaluation, and strengthen the punishments, even criminal liabilities on leaks. 

"In the work of scientific research confidentiality, we should strengthen the supervision and guidance role of the national administrative department," he continued, "We must strengthen the confidentiality awareness of medicine research and development entities and the relevant national functional departments through professional counseling, improve the professional and technical level in the implementation, enhance the supervision mechanism, and make the confidentiality of core technologies work traceable throughout the process and allowing any employee to be held accountable."

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