2026 GBA Real-world Research and Application Forum
We are delighted to share that the “2026 GBA Real‑World Research and Application Forum” successfully concluded on 29 January 2026.
Co‑organized by the Greater Bay Area International Clinical Trial Institute (GBAICTI) and its key facility, the Real‑World Study and Application Centre (RWSAC), and the Hong Kong Association of the Pharmaceutical Industry (HKAPI), this full-day forum brought together over 200 representatives from government, regulatory authorities, academia, and industry across overseas, the Chinese Mainland and the Greater Bay Area, including Hong Kong.
We were deeply honoured to have Prof. Lo Chung Mau, BBS, JP, Secretary for Health, deliver the opening remarks, underscoring the strategic importance of real-world research in shaping the future of healthcare.
Speakers at the forum reinforced the consensus that real‑world data is rapidly becoming a cornerstone of evidence‑driven healthcare. Key themes discussed included:
- Policy frameworks to promote the development of real-world research
- Leveraging real-world research outcomes to support drug regulation and registration
- Case sharing by local, the Chinese Mainland, regional and international experts on RWE generation and applications, including drug discovery, treatment assessment, use under “Special Measure,” and primary healthcare services and medications
Keynote speakers and moderators include (in the sequence of appearance):
- Prof CL Cheung (Director, Real-World Study and Application Centre (RWSAC), Greater Bay Area International Clinical Trial Institute (GBAICTI))
- Prof Yichong Li (Director, Greater Bay Area International Clinical Trials Center (Bay Trials)
- Mr Pan Jianhong (Associate Researcher, Center for Drug Evaluation, National Medical Products Administration (NMPA))
- Prof Bernard Cheung (Chief Executive Officer, GBAICTI)
- Prof John H Skerritt AM (Enterprise Professor in Health Research Impact, Faculty of Medicine, Dentistry and Health Sciences, University of Melbourne, Australia)
- Mr Michael Yim (Chief Pharmacist (2), Drug Office, Department of Health, HKSAR)
- Ms Wenjing Zhou (Department Manager of Clinical Trials Center, HKU-Shenzhen Hospital)
- Dr Jeff Lange (Global Senior Director of Observational Research, Amgen)
- Mr Naoto Shimazu (Global Head of Strategy and Innovation at Theoria under Eisai Group)
- Dr Feng Yuji (Head of RWE, China, Novartis)
- Prof Juliana Lui (Assistant Professor, Department of Medicine & Therapeutics, Faculty of Medicine, The Chinese University of Hong Kong)
- Prof Eric Wan (Associate Professor, Department of Family Medicine and Primary Care & Department of Pharmacology & Pharmacy, The University of Hong Kong)
- Ms Andrea Chang (Board member and Sponsor of the GBA Project team, HKAPI)
- Dr Fien Tong (Co-lead of the GBA Project team, HKAPI)
Our sincere thanks to all speakers, partners, and participants for your invaluable insights and contributions. We look forward to continued collaboration and knowledge exchange as we advance the application of real-world evidence together.
