A new research center was launched on Monday and aims to leverage Hong Kong's unique advantages in health data to help develop the city into a global hub for real-world medical studies.

The Real-World Study and Application Centre (RWSAC) would strengthen collaboration between the SAR and the Chinese mainland, particularly in integrating real-world data based on the use of Hong Kong-registered drugs and medical devices in the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area, the Health Bureau said.

“The RWSAC will actively promote data application to support evidence-based decision-making, thereby optimizing treatment strategies and enhancing healthcare system efficiency, and position Hong Kong as a leading regional and international hub for real-world studies to attract global collaboration and investment,” the bureau said in a statement.

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The RWSAC was established under the Greater Bay Area International Clinical Trial Institute, which was launched last year to expedite clinical trials of innovative drugs and attract top-notch innovative companies and research institutions to the city.  

On Sept 9, the institute signed a tripartite memorandum of understanding with the LKS Faculty of Medicine of the University of Hong Kong and the international biopharmaceutical company GSK to launch its first real-world data research project.

Under the project, the RWSAC will explore innovative pathways to use GBA medical data to support drug registration and market entry on the mainland, accelerating the R&D and approval processes for innovative medical products.

The project is currently in the protocol preparation stage, with data collection expected to officially start in the second quarter of 2026, marking a critical step for Hong Kong in becoming an international hub for real-world studies and promoting the interconnectivity of medical data in the GBA.

The RWSAC will also provide comprehensive one-stop project management for real-world studies conducted in Hong Kong and other GBA cities.

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It will utilize real-world data to assess research feasibility and identify suitable research centers for clinical trials while offering expert consultation, professional training and capacity building in the field of real-world studies.

The Health Bureau also announced the launching of the GBA Clinical Trial Collaboration Platform, a unified service portal that will integrate GBA clinical trial resources and provide a one-stop service entry point for global biomedical enterprises, R&D institutions and researchers.

The platform will handle service requests from the mainland and overseas, and match suitable research institutions and researchers based on specific needs through the Hong Kong Clinical Trial Digital Portal currently under construction.

It will also provides comprehensive expert consultation covering medicine, statistics, regulatory affairs and ethics review.