Four-year-old "Guoguo" (pseudonym) from Lanzhou in Northwest China's Gansu province faced unfortunate circumstances. Shortly after his birth, he was diagnosed with Short Bowel Syndrome (SBS), a rare disease.

It had been a long, difficult journey for both the boy and his parents to seek medical treatment until May this year when Guoguo received an injection of Revestive (teduglutide) at the Ciming Boao International Hospital in South China's Hainan province. The drug is currently the world's first and only analog of glucagon-like peptide-2 approved for SBS. Guoguo became the first patient in the Chinese mainland to receive this drug.

The good news for Guoguo came as a result of the spillover effect of the China International Import Expo. During the fifth edition of the expo in 2022, Revestive made its China debut at the booth of Japanese company Takeda Pharmaceuticals.

Revestive makes its debut at the fifth CIIE. [Photo/CIIE Bureau]

With the support of the expo, Revestive accelerated its entry into China. Takeda Pharmaceuticals signed a strategic agreement with the Hainan Boao Lecheng International Medical Tourism Pilot Zone Administration at the fifth CIIE. Benefiting from the preferential policies of the pilot zone, Revestive was successfully introduced to medical institutions within the pilot zone in just six months.

Takeda Pharmaceuticals signs a strategic agreement with the Hainan Boao Lecheng International Medical Tourism Pilot Zone Administration at the fifth CIIE. [Photo/CIIE Bureau]

According to the relevant policy in the pilot zone, after a comprehensive evaluation by medical institutions, patients can take the dosage of medication for no more than 12 weeks out of Boao. This means Guoguo can continue his treatment in Shanghai, providing great convenience for the patient and his family.

Currently, Revestive has benefited three SBS children from across the country, providing them with the opportunity to return to a normal life.

Sean Shan, president of Takeda China, said that the Boao Lecheng International Medical Tourism Pilot Zone is an important gateway for international innovative drugs to enter China.

Through the partnership with the pilot zone, the company hopes to meet the urgent unmet needs of Chinese SBS patients at a faster pace, helping more patients overcome treatment difficulties and improve their quality of life, Shan said.

By Cao Desheng

Liu Kun from Jiefang Daily contributed to the story.