The National Innovation Award, recognized as the highest honor in Taiwan's biomedical and healthcare industries, participates annually in the Healthcare Expo Taiwan at the end of the year. This event highlights domestic breakthroughs in medical technology and products while seeking commercialization opportunities. The award-winning teams of the 21st National Innovation Award were prominently featured in the InnoZone at the 2024 Healthcare Expo Taiwan, showcasing their exceptional achievements and innovative prowess.

Patrick Hsu, Chief Operating Officer of Audit Services at PwC, a major partner of the National Innovation Award, attended the first day of the expo. He emphasized that advancing industries relies on outstanding companies, which in turn require investment support for steady growth. According to Hsu, emerging startups are the ones that most need this support. By helping these companies transform excellent technologies and innovative ideas into successful business models, the industry can gain greater vitality.

Zoe Chou, the lead accountant for the biomedical industry at PwC, added that startups not only need a combination of funding and technology but also regulatory assistance. PwC offers courses and publications to guide startup teams in the right direction. She cited the "Act for the Development of the Biotech and New Pharmaceuticals Industry," which provides regulations and tax incentives, as an example of PwC’s focus on assisting biomedical startups, aiming to create optimal conditions for their development.

The InnoZone featured over 100 booths divided into two exhibition areas, each representing different innovations and developments. In 2024, the InnoZone was categorized into five sectors: "AI in Healthcare and Health Tech," which had the most participants with 35 organizations; "Medical Devices and Precision Diagnostics" with 32; "Clinical Technologies and Products" with 17; "Agriculture, Food, and Environmental Specialties" with 14; and "New Drugs and Vaccines" with 11.

AI-Driven Medical Assistance: Enhancing Imaging Accuracy

The advent of AI has revolutionized many aspects of life, including healthcare. AI-powered medical assistance not only reduces the workload for physicians but also accelerates the efficiency of pathological diagnoses.

V5 Technologies, collaborating with major medical centers such as NTU Hospital, Taipei Veterans General Hospital, and Taichung Veterans General Hospital, has developed the “V5 Lung Image-Assisted Diagnosis System.” This AI tool aids in detecting pulmonary nodules and has secured both Taiwan TFDA and U.S. FDA approvals. It is currently being trialed in over 50 hospitals across 12 counties in Taiwan and distributed in nine countries via 13 overseas distributors.

The system detects nodules ranging from 4 mm to 32 mm on low-dose computed tomography (LDCT) scans and marks suspicious nodules on images. It can also analyze the growth of the same nodule over time.

Similarly, Hualien Tzu Chi Hospital has developed an AI model for identifying lymph nodes in head and neck cancer and analyzing malignancy. This technology optimizes medical resources and reduces diagnostic delays. According to Ren-Jun Hsu, Director of the Cancer Research Center at Hualien Tzu Chi Hospital, AI overlays its analysis on original images, providing both AI-interpreted and raw images for comparison. However, he stressed that AI cannot replace the expertise and judgment of physicians.

Innovative Clinical Technologies and Products: Precision Treatments Benefiting Patients

Technological advancements have made minimally invasive surgeries using digital arms increasingly common. SAVFE Co., in collaboration with Far Eastern Memorial Hospital, has developed a compact "Digital Arm for Minimally Invasive Surgery Positioning." Unlike bulky optical navigation systems currently used in operating rooms, this system relies on direct measurements to guide procedures precisely, even in confined spaces. SAVFE CEO Hao-Kai Chou highlighted its speed and portability, noting that their system achieves positioning in just three seconds, compared to the 15 minutes required by other robotic arms. Though still in the regulatory approval stage, this digital arm’s innovative features stood out at the InnoZone exhibit.

Beyond technological breakthroughs, the optimization of surgical tools can also greatly benefit patients. In Taiwan, approximately 30,000 hernia patients require surgery annually. Chiayi Chang Gung Memorial Hospital has introduced a globally pioneering "Laparoscopic Non-Mesh Hernia Needle" technique, successfully applied to over 1,000 patients. This method not only shortens surgery time but also accelerates recovery compared to traditional and laparoscopic surgeries.

Hernias occur when part of the intestine protrudes abnormally through defects in the abdominal wall’s muscles or fascia. The new needle technique eliminates the need for synthetic mesh, reducing risks of infection, bleeding, and pain. According to Chih-Hao Chang, project manager at Chiayi Chang Gung Memorial Hospital, patients can undergo surgery in the morning and resume normal activities by the afternoon, avoiding hospital stays entirely.

New Cancer Drugs and Novel Therapies

Cancer remains the leading cause of death in Taiwan, making the development of innovative cancer drugs a critical focus for the biomedical industry. HuniLife Biotechnology is developing HuL001, an anti-ENO-1 antibody drug targeting Enolase-1 (ENO1). In animal studies, HuL001 significantly reduced tumor sizes in multiple myeloma, prostate cancer, pancreatic cancer, and colorectal cancer. Having confirmed safety in Phase I trials, it is now progressing to Phase II clinical trials for cancer.

Wei-Ching Huang, R&D Director at HuniLife, emphasized that HuL001 is a domestically developed drug initially researched by the Development Center for Biotechnology and the National Health Research Institutes. The drug has global patent protections across regions including China, Korea, Japan, the U.S., and Europe, aiming to penetrate niche markets.

In addition to treating major diseases, common medical materials can yield novel results when applied differently. For example, while hyaluronic acid is widely known for its use in cosmetics, Powin Biomedical is leveraging its potential as a drug delivery vehicle through its "High-Efficiency Hyaluronic Acid Grafting Technology."

Powin Biomedical’s Deputy General Manager, Po-Tsun Chen, explained that their patented technology increases the grafting efficiency of hydrophobic drugs from 30% to as high as 90%. This innovation enables the creation of long-acting medications, such as insulin patches for sustained drug release, addressing issues like medication adherence in elderly patients. The company is also exploring hyaluronic acid as an adjuvant in antibody drugs to develop cancer vaccines, targeting the cancer vaccine market.

Resource: 國家新創獎現身醫療科技展，InnoZone展區凸顯創新實力