Li Ka-Shing’s CK Life Unit Eyes China Fast Track for Cancer Vaccine Pipeline

Chuan Sun, managing partner at the firm's Shanghai and Hong Kong offices, was quoted in an SCMP article that focuses on the growing trend of leveraging China’s investigator-initiated trials (IITs) as a “fast track” channel for doctor-led clinical research. IITs allow hospital investigators to initiate studies and explore new uses for existing therapies, rather than under the direction of pharmaceutical companies.

According to Chuan, unlike the standard regulatory process, IITs in China typically do not require approval from the drug regulator. Instead, they are reviewed by ethics committees and approved at the hospital level.

“With a smaller number of enrolled patients, drug developers can quickly obtain early indications of whether a drug is safe and effective,” said Chuan. “The data collected from IITs can help determine the likelihood of a drug’s success and guide adjustments to dosing and clinical design ahead of larger, later‑stage trials.”

Read the full article.