TOPIC

Medicine

Medicine
The latest news, analysis and opinion on Medicine. In-depth analysis, industry insights and expert opinion.
This photograph taken on February 23, 2023 shows the anti-diabetic medication Ozempic (semaglutide) made by Novo Nordisk. Photo: AFP/Getty Images/TNS
New medical drugs

‘China’s Ozempic’ pioneer inks deal with JD Health for online distribution

China’s weight loss drugs market could grow to US$5.6 billion by 2035, according to Goldman Sachs.

Biomedicine: Companies

China’s drug prowess draws industry ‘shoppers’: Jefferies

Wellness

Do lip fillers affect kissing and can they be harmful? Experts reveal

South Korea

South Korean medical students end walkout, demand healthcare system overhaul

Thousands of medical students walked out of school in early 2024 in opposition to a government plan to add thousands of new spots at medical schools.

videocam
Thousands of South Korean medical students will return to campus, ending last year’s walkout, and are calling for a joint task force to normalise academic schedules and implement long-term reforms to the healthcare education and training system. Photo: EPA-EFE
Wellness

Blood tests that find cancer DNA can lead to early treatment, saving lives

A study shows that ctDNA tests can detect tumours up to three years before before traditional testing methods would have picked them up.

Japan

The smartphone squint: a closer look at Japan’s cross-eyed epidemic

The highest proportion of patients with the condition are middle and high school students, according to a recent study.

Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement
Hong Kong healthcare and hospitals

Could Hong Kong add preventive checks to its voluntary health insurance system?

Acting health minister Libby Lee says authorities will talk to insurance industry to study inclusion of some screenings.

The scheme was introduced in 2019 to establish standards and improve market transparency for individual indemnity hospital insurance products. Photo: Getty Images
Hong Kong healthcare and hospitals

HKU launches clinical trial in Hong Kong to treat chronic hepatitis B patients

Existing medication only suppresses virus and has to be taken for decades, researcher says.

Thailand

Thailand to require cannabis shops to convert into clinics staffed by doctors

Officials say only around 2,000 of the country’s 18,000 marijuana dispensaries are expected to stay open after the new rules go into effect.

Biomedicine: Companies

Explainer | Why dozens of Chinese firms are joining the weight loss drugs fray

In China, over 60 late-stage drugs are undergoing clinical trials, and may compete with those from incumbents Novo Nordisk and Eli Lilly.

Vials of Eli Lilly’s Mounjaro, a tirzepatide injection drug used for treating type 2 diabetes and weight loss, are seen in a fridge at a health clinic in Hyderabad, India, April 14, 2025. Photo: Reuters
Robotics

Robot performs realistic surgery with 100% accuracy in ‘major leap’

The machine was trained on videos of operations and worked with the expertise of a skilled human doctor, Johns Hopkins researchers say.

This machine trained on the videos of surgeries was able to precisely work on removing a gallbladder from a lifelike patient. Photo: Juo-Tung Chen/PA Media/Johns Hopkins University/dpa
Science

Top Chinese oncologist and director of Jilin Cancer Hospital, Cheng Ying, dies

Cheng was a pioneer in clinical trials for tumour diseases, especially small-cell lung carcinoma.

videocam
5
Britain

Junior doctors vote to strike, threatening Britain’s hospitals amid pay dispute

Junior doctors rejected a 5.4 per cent pay rise, seeking 29 per cent due to pay erosion, which may disrupt hospitals, but the union believes strikes can still be avoided.

Hong Kong healthcare and hospitals

‘Space oil’ linked to possible fatal condition among Hong Kong teen users: study

Study also finds second-hand exposure to substance may cause health risks to persist for former drug users.

Former ‘space oil’ users can still suffer health risks through second-hand exposure to the substance, a study has found. Photo: Dickson Lee
Hong Kong society

Leading Hong Kong forensic pathologist Philip Beh dies after battle with cancer

Beh, also co-founder of sexual violence crisis centre RainLily, dedicated his career to helping grieving families seek answers and closure.

Dr Philip Beh was the principal clinical practitioner at the HKU’s department of pathology. Photo: SCMP
Science

Human heart structure beats 21 days in pig embryo in Chinese chimera study

The research could have implications for organ transplants, which are limited by the small number of donors.

videocam
Hong Kong healthcare and hospitals

Veteran medical administrator Libby Lee to lead Hong Kong’s Hospital Authority

Cecilia Fan, a Department of Health consultant, will replace Lee as the new undersecretary for health.

Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement
Hong Kong healthcare and hospitals

University of Hong Kong scientists explore growing organs with 3D printing tech

Professor Michael Chan says his team is looking to produce personalised 3D-printed airways for burn victims using patients’ cells.

Professor Michael Chan says his team is exploring how to attach organoids to 3D-printed tissue. Photo: Edmond So
Wellness

She survived breast cancer, PTSD, then divorce. Now she’s a fitness coach

Korean-American single mother Han-mi Walsh-Riddle took control of her life after beating cancer, and now she helps others do the same.

Wellness

Are you developing Parkinson’s disease? Earwax may show if you are at risk

Earwax tests could help with early Parkinson’s detection, Chinese researchers discover, offering hope for improved diagnosis and prevention.

Thailand

Thailand’s doctors have to show cannabis use for medical reasons in new form

The reversal of Thailand’s decriminalisation of cannabis in 2022 is a major setback for retail sellers of the drug across the country.

A marijuana flower bud being prepared for a customer at a cannabis shop in Bangkok. Photo: AP
Hong Kong healthcare and hospitals

Editorial | New drug approval system takes Hong Kong closer to biomedical hub goal

The ability to independently review and approve drugs will go a long way towards raising the city’s standing as a centre of medical innovation.

Hong Kong will begin reviewing and approving drugs independently in phases from 2026, with a new regulatory system set to begin operating by the end of next year. Photo: Shutterstock
Hong Kong healthcare and hospitals

How a Hong Kong man’s drug-resistant epilepsy was relieved using robotics

Neurosurgery expert says new approach could encourage more people to get check-ups for epilepsy conditions.

Wellness

He’s spent half his life researching how to age well. Here’s his advice

Nominated for a global nursing prize for his research on ageing well, Hong Kong-based gerontologist Jed Montayre shares his expert advice.

4
Science

Mammals could regenerate tissue by turning on ‘genetic switch’: Chinese team

Scientists studying ability of mice to regenerate ear damage say therapies based on retinoic acid might work across various tissue types.

videocam
Chinese scientists studying regeneration say a mouse’s failure to regenerate stems from an inability to produce sufficient retinoic acid, a derivative of vitamin A. Photo: Shutterstock
Thailand

High times over? Thailand slams brakes on recreational cannabis

More than 18,000 licensed shops now face closure if they fail to comply with the new, stricter medical-only requirements.

A member of staff arranges bongs at a cannabis shop in Bangkok. Violations of the ban could result in a maximum one-year jail term and a 20,000 baht fine. Photo: AP
Hong Kong healthcare and hospitals

Hong Kong public hospitals to limit ‘as needed’ medication to 8-week supply

New arrangement will cover 14 types of drugs for relieving symptoms, including laxatives and creams for bruises.

Biomedicine: Companies

China’s drug innovators bank on AI to hasten discovery to commercial success

A deal between Shenzhen-based XTalPi and US firm DoveTree shows Chinese biotech AI capabilities are gaining recognition.

videocam
Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement
Help preserve 120 years of quality journalism.
SUPPORT NOW
Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement