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Medicine

Medicine

The latest news, analysis and opinion on Medicine. In-depth analysis, industry insights and expert opinion.

A woman walks past the National Covid Memorial Wall in London, Britain, on November 20. Photo: EPA

Outside In | Six years on, are we better prepared for the next pandemic?

Preparedness plans remain a work in progress while health budgets have been sliced by urgent demands and US withdrawal weakens global coordination.

1 hour agovideocam

Made in China 2025

China’s pharmaceutical industry transforms into a global innovation powerhouse

19 Dec 2025 - 8:30AM

‘Used medicine to kill’: French doctor jailed for life for poisoning patients

18 Dec 2025 - 6:51PM

How Chinese scientists turn allergy into a powerful weapon against cancer

Mast cell platform can expand to carry other payloads, such as molecules, viruses, proteins and drug-loaded nanoparticles.

17 Dec 2025 - 3:29PMvideocam

A Chinese team of researchers loaded mast cells – which cause allergic symptoms when they encounter antigens such as seafood and pollen – with anticancer drugs to deliver them into tumours. Illustration: Shutterstock

Trump considers reclassifying marijuana as a less dangerous drug

Reclassification could have ripple effects in the US, and represent one of the most significant federal changes to marijuana policy in decades.

16 Dec 2025 - 2:41PM

‘It’s life’: ex-NBA star in Singapore for brain cancer treatment exudes hope

Jason Collins, who is seeking an experimental treatment, has progressed from being ‘basically a vegetable’ to taking a two-hour walk.

15 Dec 2025 - 7:29PM

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Sperm quality decline: could easy-to-use balm from China solve the crisis?

In China, unhealthy lifestyles, pollution and work-related stress are cited in public health discussions around declining sperm quality.

15 Dec 2025 - 4:43PMvideocam

A national reproductive health survey in 2021 indicated one in nearly six couples of childbearing age faced difficulties in starting a family. Photo: Getty Images

Ex-NBA player with deadly brain cancer turns to Singapore for new treatment

Jason Collins, who said he could die within weeks, praised Singapore as ‘the city of the future’, where he got approval ‘within 48 hours’.

14 Dec 2025 - 10:18AM

Hong Kong healthcare and hospitals

Why ‘Hong Kong model’ combining Chinese and Western medicine could go global

German facility says it is exploring potential areas of collaboration and possible joint projects with the city’s new hospital.

12 Dec 2025 - 8:40PMvideocam

China manufacturing

China’s biotech firms may see ‘major breakthroughs’ within a decade. Here’s why

Strong manufacturing base a driving force behind overseas expansion, but industry leaders and analysts say hurdles remain.

11 Dec 2025 - 3:36PMvideocam

Chinese biotech firms set to crack the global market within a decade, according to industry experts. Photo: Getty Images

Hong Kong healthcare and hospitals

Hong Kong’s first Chinese medicine hospital opens to popular demand

Facility, which hopes to bring Chinese medicine development in Hong Kong to the world, adds extra quota slots to meet demand.

11 Dec 2025 - 10:24PMvideocam

A total of 181 patients booked appointments at the Chinese Medicine Hospital on Thursday. Photo: Sam Tsang

With one small step for AI, Chinese scientists make giant leap for humanity

Researchers give robotic arms the skill and precision of experienced surgeons, all thanks to the inspiration of a simple slip knot.

8 Dec 2025 - 12:55AMvideocam

Chinese scientists develop promising stem cell therapy for Parkinson’s

New biotech allows ‘seeds’ planted in the brain to differentiate into new nerve cells, reshaping its neural network.

7 Dec 2025 - 6:20AMvideocam

US vaccine advisers say not all newborns need hepatitis B shot

Scrapping the recommendation for vaccination at birth will reverse decades of public health gains, disease experts say.

6 Dec 2025 - 1:00AM

Protesters rally outside CDC headquarter during a meeting of the vaccine committee in Atlanta, Georgia, on Thursday. Photo: AFP

Opinion | How China engineered the rapid rise of its drug innovation industry

A market once dominated by generics is now an AI-powered pharmaceutical hub drawing billion-dollar investments from the likes of Pfizer and GSK.

4 Dec 2025 - 10:51AMvideocam

A worker checks the position of a feeding tray in a pharmaceutical manufacturing facility at the Hengrui Biomedical Industrial Park in Lianyungang in Jiangsu province, on December 13, 2021. Photo: Getty Images

Hong Kong stock market

China’s 3SBio seeks US$400 million in Hong Kong to boost drug pipeline

Share placement to help Shenyang-based firm advance clinical research in China and the US, expand reach of cancer and hair-loss drugs.

2 Dec 2025 - 4:46PM

US-UK zero tariff deal to reshape NHS medicine spending

The agreement removes tariffs on medicines and raises NHS spending on new drugs by 25 per cent, boosting pharmaceutical growth.

2 Dec 2025 - 4:04AMvideocam

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United we stand: why mammals that band together may face lower cancer risks

In cooperative societies – like elephants or whales – natural selection seems to favour genetic mechanisms that suppress cancer, study says.

2 Dec 2025 - 1:06AMvideocam

Elephants, despite their massive size and long lifespans, have evolved powerful cancer defences in the form of 19 extra copies of the tumour-suppressor gene TP53. Photo: AFP

Hong Kong healthcare and hospitals

Editorial | Hospital fee reform must balance social fairness with budgetary needs

While standard X-ray services at public hospitals will remain free, the pricing overhaul must be watched closely to avoid unintended harm.

1 Dec 2025 - 6:45AM

Why this Aids charity’s Hong Kong art show smells of resilience

Aids Concern’s ‘Emanate’ exhibition features art and fragrances created by people affected by HIV and Aids that tell their stories.

29 Nov 2025 - 5:15PM

Explainer | What is MASLD? Most common chronic liver disease affects up to 40% of adults

Previously known as non-alcoholic fatty liver disease, MASLD is trending upwards as obesity levels rise, but it can affect lean people too.

29 Nov 2025 - 7:49AM

Metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease (MASLD), formerly known as non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD), is a common liver disease driven by metabolic dysfunction. Photo: Shutterstock

Wealth: Alternative Investments

Healthcare’s digital revolution could be a tonic for savvy investors

The rise of AI, healthtech and ageing populations is prompting wealth managers to monitor the pulse of a sector once seen as stodgy.

Supported by

BNP Paribas Wealth Management

Healthtech’s applications, including robot-assisted surgery, are now driving up companies’ valuations in the sector. Photo: Edmond So

Icons and Influencers

Legacy of Vogue Italia’s Franca Sozzani honoured at inaugural Franca Fund Gala

Co-hosted by Anna Wintour, the event included a fundraising auction and drew guests including Gisele Bündchen and Miuccia Prada.

24 Nov 2025 - 5:17PM

Slovenia rejects assisted dying law in national referendum

Sunday’s referendum was held after critics mounted a campaign against a new law to legalise assisted dying.

24 Nov 2025 - 11:14AM

He can’t remember his son’s wedding. The cause? A rare autoimmune disease

Autoimmune encephalitis stole years of father Christy Morrill’s memories and can lead to psychosis. But it is being caught early more often.

23 Nov 2025 - 7:15PM

Christy Morrill holds up a viewfinder with a slide film of himself as a young man. Autoimmune encephalitis left him unable to remember years of his life, and can leave sufferers in hospital, but treatments are in development. Photo: AP

What are the best supplements? Expert advice on what works and what doesn’t

The demand for supplements is high and continues to grow, but it can be hard to know what to take. We asked doctors for their advice.

23 Nov 2025 - 7:15AM

Are supplements worth the hype? Experts weigh in on what is good for your health. Photo: Shutterstock

In Indonesia, US and Canada, ‘online hoaxes’ fuel measles deaths

With over 3,400 confirmed cases and more than 20 child deaths, Indonesia’s outbreaks reflect immunisation gaps and growing vaccine hesitancy.

20 Nov 2025 - 8:56AM

Biomedicine: Industry Trends

China’s clinical trial capacity matches US, attracts more global pharma firms

Growth of innovative clinical trials suggests that Chinese biotech firms’ pipeline of novel drug candidates is expanding, analysts say.

20 Nov 2025 - 7:30AM

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