The “7th International Conference on Vascular Surgery and Endovascular Surgery,” co-sponsored by the Medical Engineering Branch of the Chinese Medical Association and the Regenerative Medicine Branch of the Chinese Anatomical Society, and organized by Xuanwu Hospital of Capital Medical University and the Institute of Basic Medical Sciences of the Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, was grandly held from October 23 to 25, 2009, at the Beijing Railway Building. This conference brought together renowned experts and scholars from home and abroad, who focused on topics including tissue engineering, regenerative medicine, and basic research and clinical applications of stem cells. Participants presented the latest medical information, introduced the most authoritative academic theories, and exchanged ideas and discussed international standards and best practices.

The NL003 project is a gene therapy drug developed by NORTHLAND and protected by an invention patent. Currently, it has completed Phase I clinical trials for lower-limb ischemia in China, Phase I clinical trials for chronic myocardial infarction in South Korea, and Phase I clinical trials for lower-limb ischemia, myocardial infarction, and diabetic peripheral neuropathy in the United States. At this conference, Director Gu Yongquan from the Department of Vascular Surgery at Xuanwu Hospital of Capital Medical University first chaired the session and presented the results of the Phase I clinical trials of the NL003 project conducted in China and the United States. Subsequently, Professor Kim from Seoul National University Hospital in South Korea provided a detailed update on the progress of the Phase I clinical trial for coronary artery ischemic disease. As a result, the project attracted great attention and valuable suggestions from the attending experts and physicians. The relevant pharmacological research centers also expressed strong interest and demonstrated a willingness to collaborate. According to Director Gu, “The recombinant hepatocyte growth factor naked plasmid injection exhibits high safety and demonstrates good therapeutic effects on lower-limb arterial ischemic diseases, holding great potential for future development!”

Our company is actively applying for Phase II clinical trials for this project. We plan to enter Phase II clinical trials in the first half of 2010, striving to accelerate the R&D process and bring the drug to market as soon as possible. This will provide a safe and effective new treatment for ischemic diseases, thereby alleviating patients’ pain and burden.