Hong Kong’s major innovation incubator along with government officials on Thursday restated their long-haul support for cell and gene therapy (CGT) through better policy and standards alignments.

Local biomedical enthusiasts expressed their confidence in the international competitiveness of Hong Kong’s CGT sector, with patients and doctors giving firsthand accounts of treatment and recovery during an event held at the Hong Kong Science Park, a thriving innovation community that houses over 2,500 technology companies working in the fields of artificial intelligence, robotics, life and health tech, green technology and advanced manufacturing.

At the forefront of the healthcare sector, CGT is applied to modify the expression of a gene or to alter cells for treatment. It is currently being used to treat certain cancers and genetic diseases that are difficult to address with conventional therapies.

The event served as a showcase of local enterprises’ CGT achievements and was attended by 200 scholars and representatives from medical companies.

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At the center of the event was the city’s first licensed allogeneic mesenchymal stem cell manufacturing plant, which has earned PIC/S GMP (Pharmaceutical Inspection Co-operation Scheme / Good Manufacturing Practice) recognition, an international gold standard for pharmaceutical manufacturing quality.

Opened by Hong Kong Regen Medtech Ltd in May, the plant can produce advanced therapeutic products for clinical trials.

Senior executives from over 10 technology firms, all based in the park and specializing in advanced CGT, detailed their latest clinical work and strategic outlook across three showcase sessions — on gene therapy and emerging platforms, on stem cell therapy, and on CAR-T and immunotherapy — before a patient-physician talk.

Welcoming the crowd, Terry Wong Ping-sau, CEO of Hong Kong Science and Technology Parks Corp, operator of the park, said Hong Kong holds a “uniquely advantageous position” to drive CGT development, as the country’s 15th Five-Year Plan (2026–30) has placed biomedicine among emerging pillar industries for future growth.

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Wong cited Hong Kong’s competitive strengths as including its world-class regulatory standards, robust intellectual property protections, free trade policies, and its position as a direct gateway to the vast Chinese mainland market.

Wong reported that over 360 life and health technology companies are now based at the park, working across gene therapy, stem cells, and immune oncology.

He further expressed his hope of seeing CGT designated as a priority in Hong Kong’s first five-year plan and reaffirmed the park’s commitment to helping to accelerate advanced therapy in areas such as better manufacturing quality, greater alignment with global regulatory standards, and more efficient translation of research outcomes into clinical applications.

Andy Wong Wai-cheuk, head of Innovation & Technology and Life & Health Sciences at Invest Hong Kong — a government body overseeing foreign direct investment — also took to the stage to say that “Hong Kong is definitely an ideal platform for CGT development”.

Andy Wong attributed Hong Kong’s strengths primarily to a conducive ecosystem: globally top-tier universities leading the way in life sciences and medicine basic research, cutting-edge technology transfer facilities, substantial government incentives for commercialization, and a business-friendly climate reinforced by the city’s established status as an international financial center.

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He added that a “one-stop” regulatory and administrative framework is also under development in Hong Kong to support faster approvals for new drugs and medical devices.

In March, Hong Kong’s health authorities began phasing in a primary evaluation pathway for the registration of new drugs. This first phase covers applications for drug products with active chemical ingredients that are already registered in Hong Kong but are now being submitted for expanded uses like new indications, different strengths, revised dosage regimes and alternative formulations.

Under the mechanism, new drugs can be approved locally without waiting for clearance from nonlocal regulators. Broader plans include setting up the Hong Kong Centre for Medical Products Regulation and achieving full primary evaluation capability by 2030.

At the event, a mother identifying as Jessica recounted her experience of receiving in utero maternal haemopoietic stem cell transfusion treatment — led by a research team at the Chinese University of Hong Kong — four years ago after learning during pregnancy that her fetus had alpha-thalassemia major.

She had also been pregnant with an alpha-thalassemia major fetus 10 years earlier but was unable to continue the pregnancy as the medical technology available at the time was not sufficiently advanced to provide a viable treatment option.

“A decade on, I found myself confronting the same diagnosis once more. I had already lost hope and thought I could not carry the pregnancy to term,” she said, “But when I learned that a new CGT treatment was available, I decided to give it a try.”

Jessica gave birth safely, and her child successfully received a stem cell transplant at 2 years old.

“I’m deeply grateful for such a new treatment option,” she said.

Contact the writer at wanqing@chinadailyhk.com