The Ministry of Science and Technology recently announced projects under the "14th Five-Year Plan" National Key R&D Program, prioritizing "Diagnostic Equipment and Biomedical Materials." Notably, for the first time, cardiac radiotherapy technology has been included as a focus area. The project "Development of Stereotactic Radiotherapy Technology and Prototype for Cardiac Arrhythmia," led by Huake Pioneer, a medical linear accelerator developer, was successfully selected.

 

The National Key R&D Program is one of the five major categories of centrally funded scientific initiatives in China, alongside the National Natural Science Foundation and the National Science and Technology Major Project. It focuses on providing support for strategic, foundational, and forward-looking scientific issues that are crucial to industrial competitiveness, national innovation capacity, and security. The program also funds the development of common key technologies and products, as well as the application of major engineering equipment.

Huake Pioneer, a leading developer of high-end medical electronic linear accelerators, specializes in the advanced and technically challenging X-band accelerators. Innovatively, they have combined a ring gantry with a robotic arm to enable 4π global surface radiation therapy, further optimizing clinical radiotherapy applications. China's first 4π intelligent robotic radiotherapy system, developed by Huake Pioneer, has successfully passed type testing and is set to enter clinical trials soon.

This project, now part of the National Key R&D Program, is led by Professor Tang Min from Fuwai Hospital and spearheaded by Huake Pioneer. In partnership with seven institutions, including Tsinghua University, Fudan University, and the PLA General Hospital, the project focuses on using stereotactic radiotherapy for cardiac applications. The goal is to develop the world's first stereotactic radiotherapy system specifically for cardiac arrhythmias, establish effective treatment protocols, and advance the technology towards commercialization, creating a new treatment approach for arrhythmias.

Cardiac arrhythmias are a major global public health challenge, with ventricular arrhythmias posing risks of heart failure or sudden death. In 2023, China saw over 11 million hospitalizations for arrhythmias, with more than a million involving ventricular cases. These patients often rely on long-term medication or catheter ablation, but antiarrhythmic drugs can be ineffective or intolerable for some, while catheter ablation, as an invasive procedure, carries risks and a high recurrence rate. This highlights the urgent need for new, effective, and low-risk treatments to meet unmet patient needs in this area.

Recently, stereotactic radiotherapy has moved beyond treating cancers to being used in the cardiovascular field. This technique uses precisely targeted X-rays from medical linear accelerators to ablate cardiac lesions. As a non-invasive approach, it reduces patient discomfort and can be done on an outpatient basis, helping to shorten hospital stays and increase the efficiency of healthcare resource use.

Huake Pioneer’s selection as the lead unit for the National Key Research and Development Program marks a significant achievement, showcasing its breakthroughs in cardiac radiotherapy. This accomplishment also highlights the innovative outcomes from the "Baheal Cardiovascular Innovation Base." The base is a biopharmaceutical innovation cluster focused on cardiovascular disease diagnostics and treatments, leveraging resources and expertise from the National Center for Cardiovascular Diseases, the clinical strengths of Fuwai Hospital, and Baheal's innovation and industry resources to drive the development of new cardiovascular drugs and devices.

Huake Pioneer is a key enterprise in high-end medical devices, invested in and incubated by Baheal Pharma Group. With support from Baheal's industry resources, Huake Pioneer will oversee large-scale production of ZAP Surgical's head and neck radiosurgery system in China. This expands their product lineup to include comprehensive radiotherapy equipment for body, head, and heart applications.

Looking ahead, Huake Pioneer will continue addressing unmet clinical needs by leveraging Baheal’s extensive resources. Their aim is to advance the clinical use of cutting-edge radiotherapy technologies both in China and worldwide, using technological innovation to enhance healthcare practices.