Focus on pandemic prevention at CIIE venue
The third China International Import Expo is attaching great importance to pandemic prevention as novel coronavirus still threatens the world.
A special public health and pandemic prevention zone was the first to be set up at the expo's medical equipment and health care products pavilion.
In this zone, some 50 enterprises have brought their latest products, technologies and services for the battle against COVID-19, including masks, protective clothing, sterilization products, reagent kits and CT machines, in addition to the extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) breathing machines and facilities for intensive care units.
Pharmaceutical giants AstraZeneca, Pfizer, Merck Sharp & Dohme (MSD) and Sanofi have booths in both the pavilion and the special zone. Several research projects on coronavirus vaccines are likely to announce their latest progress at the expo.
Medtronic's latest extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) equipment is on display at the special public health and pandemic prevention zone in the medical exhibition area during the third China International Import Expo.
Collaboration in vaccines
Earlier this year, AstraZeneca, a British-Swedish multinational pharmaceutical and biopharmaceutical company, and the University of Oxford announced an agreement on the global development and distribution of the university’s potential recombinant adenovirus vaccine aimed at preventing COVID-19 infection from SARS-CoV-2.
In August, AstraZeneca granted Chinese firm Shenzhen Kangtai Biological Products Co a license to develop, manufacture and commercialize the licensed products. The latter is expected to have an annual production capacity of 100 million doses per year by the end of this year and expand capacity to at least 200 million doses a year by the end of next year to meet the needs of the Chinese market.
Currently, second and third clinical tests of this vaccine are going on in several countries. Leon Wang, executive vice president of AstraZeneca, said the vaccine's phase 1 and 2 clinical trials in China are expected to be launched within the year. He hopes the vaccine will benefit Chinese people next year.
Sean Chen, general manager of respiratory, inflammation and autoimmunity at AstraZeneca China, said its cooperation with the University of Oxford to develop a vaccine is to fulfill its responsibility as a transnational corporation and make a contribution to the global fight against the novel coronavirus. Through the transfer of technology to Kangtai, the two companies will work together to promote the production and supply of this vaccine as soon as possible.
A self-service vaccination cabin is displayed at the booth of French pharma Sanofi, where people can vaccinate themselves after following instructions.
Appointed a leading organization by the Public Health and Epidemic Prevention Committee of the China International Import Expo Bureau, Merck Sharp & Dohme said it is carrying out several programs in the fight against coronavirus around the world, including two COVID-19 vaccines currently under development and an oral antiviral drug for COVID-19.
At its booth, visitors can also learn about its Ebola vaccine, which could be traced back to the outbreak of the Ebola pandemic in western Africa in 2014. During that period, MSD took over the development and production of the vaccine and to date has donated more than 250,000 doses of the Ebola vaccine to the World Health Organization.
Fosun Health, a branch of Shanghai-based conglomerate Fosun, has partnered with German-based next-generation immunotherapy company BioNTech on COVID-19 vaccine development based on mRNA, a small piece of genetic information which activates the body's immune response against the respective virus. At present, its COVID-19 mRNA vaccine candidate BNT162b1 licensed by BioNTech has obtained approval from the National Medical Products Administration for clinical trials on the Chinese mainland and has commenced the first phase.
It is also showcasing world’s first full-body CT machine BodyTom that can move freely with no need to move the patient and a negative pressure ambulance for monitoring and transferring patients which can prevent air inside from leaking to prevent infection. The latter has already been used in Wuhan's battle against coronavirus.
Innovative facilities
A smart self-service vaccination cabin is displayed at Sanofi’s booth.
Sanofi said that when a sudden epidemic appears or a seasonal vaccination period arrives, the rapid deployment of a large number of self-service vaccination cabins can promptly and effectively alleviate pressure on conventional vaccination clinics.
The cabin allows people to follow a series of instructions and receive a vaccination via a robot arm. If they need help, physicians will provide remote support.
A representative of French pharma Sanofi shows a visitor how to use the devices inside a self-service vaccination cabin.
US life sciences giant Thermo Fisher brought a mobile nucleic acid detection lab to the China International Import Expo.
At the booth of US life sciences giant Thermo Fisher, there's a mobile container with all the devices needed for the nucleic acid detection that it developed. This mobile nucleic acid detection lab can be moved to anywhere requiring nucleic acid tests on a flatbed truck. It has negative pressure inside to prevent pollution and waste gas, and water is cleaned before being released.
"Our mission is to enable our customers to make the world healthier, cleaner and safer. COVID-19 is a powerful reminder of the importance of that mission. That is why we are taking part in the CIIE for the third consecutive year and present our COVID-19-related product and total solutions," said Tony Acciarito, president of Thermo Fisher Scientific China.
The inside of Thermo Fisher's mobile nucleic acid detection lab, where all devices needed for the tests are provided
"Thermo Fisher signed up to become a member of the professional committee of public health and epidemic prevention. We build a mobile nucleic acid detection lab on-site, where visitors can experience lab solutions equivalent to P2/P3 standards,” he said. “Those solutions are key to enabling the expansion and acceleration of nucleic acid detection in China.
"We also present our total workflow for COVID-19 that contributed to the efficient identification, testing and tracing of the virus, covering steps from fast sample preparation to accurate virus detection solutions, monitoring and identification, laboratory prevention and control."
GE Healthcare displays a CT machine with a device on the ceiling that can help locate the key parts of a patient automatically.
Japanese pharma Takeda is displaying the human albumin product Flexbumin it donated to China when the epidemic hit the country. It can be used on severe coronavirus patients to increase their immunity.
Terumo, another Japanese firm, has a light extracorporeal membrane oxygenation machine whose main body is only 8 kilograms in weight at its booth. During the pandemic, Terumo deployed many medical devices, including this machine, to Wuhan.
GE Healthcare has brought their virtual care solution Mural, which can integrate data from multiple systems and devices to provide a real-time, comprehensive view of patients' status across a selected area. It can be used to link hospitals together and, for instance, allow data collected from community health care centers to be viewed by hospital doctors, saving time in situations such as pandemics.
Signs featuring pandemic prevention measures can be found everywhere at the China International Import Expo.
Safety measures in place
Strict pandemic prevention measures are in place at the CIIE venue to ensure the safety of visitors, exhibitors and working staff.
Real-name registration, health codes and early submission of nucleic acid test reports are all required for entry, with volunteers and security guards reminding people to wear masks all the time in the venue.
To enable quick access, visitors’ health information is connected with their CIIE pass with temperatures also recorded when passing a gate.
Tables are set up for visitors with masks and hand sanitizer. Some restaurants also provide masks, disposable gloves, sterilization products and temperature devices for customers to use for free.
To prevent people getting too close to each other, restaurants are asking diners to sit in the same row or placing transparent boards on tables to separate them.
Robots are used to do the cleaning and sterilization at the exhibition halls. They can plan their own route through laser radar, sensors and cameras and are self-charging.
A security guard holds high a sighboard reminding people to wear masks and keep social distancing.
Diners at CIIE are required to sit separately.
