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HKU-CTC has been walking together with Hong Kong in the past 25 years in advancing human healthcare. To commemorate this milestone, we held the silver jubilee celebration event earlier. The event brought together government officials, academic and industry representatives, as well as our dedicated colleagues in clinical research, with some 300 attendees. It was a joyous occasion started with speeches from Professor Richard Wong, Acting President & Vice-Chancellor of HKU, Dr. Stephen Wong, Head of Chief Executive’s Unit of HKSAR Government, Mr. Henry Fan, Chairman of Hospital Authority and Professor Leung Wai-Keung, HKU-CTC’s Chief Director, who commended the center's contributions to healthcare innovation in Hong Kong and its commitment to societal well-being. We also took the opportunity to express our appreciation to 10 colleagues who have been of service with HKU-CTC for 5 to 20 years, and congratulate our 5 trainees for their successful completion of our trainee programme during 2022-23. Let's take a moment to relive the highlights of this memorable evening!

(Available in Chinese only)

(Available in Chinese only)

The year 2023 was a year full of challenges, but HKU-CTC never stopped its efforts. We hosted the Clinical Research Governance World Conference and International Clinical Trial Center Network - ICN Symposium earlier. The theme was "Clinical Research Success through Good Governance" and it brought over 250 representatives on-site from government agencies, research institutions, and the biomedical industry from around the world to discuss the latest trends in clinical trial governance. We were honored to have Professor Lo Chung-Mau, Secretary for Health, Mr. Li Chuang, Deputy Director of Shenzhen Municipal Health Commission, Professor Lau Chak-Sing, Dean of Medicine at The University of Hong Kong, and Dr. Christiane Blankenstein, Chairperson of International Clinical Trials Center Network, delivered speeches at the opening ceremony, making it a lively and momentous occasion. Now, let's take a look at the highlights of that exciting day!

Available in Chinese only

In May of 2022, the HKU medical research team collaborated with China National Biotec Group (Sinopharm) to conduct a large-scale clinical study on an Omicron-targeting COVID-19 vaccine. After 13 months of hard work, the study has finally been completed on 2 November 2023! HKU Clinical Trials Centre (HKU-CTC) was responsible for planning and managing the whole study which involved 1,800 volunteers. It was a real challenge to run such a large study within a tight timeframe. Extensive efforts were made to facilitate the study, including setting up a temporary research center at the Sun Yat Sen Memorial Park Sports Centre to accommodate the large group of volunteers. We also announced the study and invited participation across the city by all means, such as social media channels, press releases, newspaper/bus/minibus/MTR advertisements, and leaflet distribution. We sincerely thank all our volunteers for their tremendous support, and the research team for their unwavering efforts. Without the extensive support by the public, this remarkable goal could never be accomplished!

When we are ill, we will usually purchase a whole box of over-the-counter medicine home. After taking a few doses and upon recovery, we will stop the medication and keep the excess stock home to reduce wastage. However, it is seldom for us finish the whole box so the medicine may expire at last. Are expired drugs still safe to take?

Although the effects of expired medicine on human body are uncertain, taking them can be risky. The strength of expired drugs may decrease or worse, they might decompose into harmful substances. Taking expired drugs may delay the proper treatment and aggravate the illnesses.

Read the expiry date every time before taking a drug. Expired ones should be disposed at once. Even if the drug is not expired yet, check if there is any unusual colour, shape and odor. If in doubt, you should never take risk and instead, throw the medicine away.

Reports on birth defects due to taking the medicines by mistake by pregnant women often appeared on the media. That is why a number of pregnant women avoid taking any kind of medication even if they are ill, as they are in fear of their effects on the fetus. Is it still correct in this era with well-developed modern medicine?

Women with serious or chronic diseases, such as asthma, diabetes, high blood pressure and seizure, might need to continue taking the prescribed medicines as usual. That is because the health risks of stopping medication might be higher than that of taking medication during pregnancy.

Although some medicines are safe to use during pregnancy, it is true that some will have harmful effects on the fetus. A drug’s effect on the fetus is determined mainly by drug potency, dosage, duration of drug exposure, and placental permeability, etc. Never take the over-the-counter medication or drugs given by others on your own without getting prior professional advice. Check the drug label to learn about the possible risks for pregnant women. There are some medicines which have proved to cause birth defects or effects on the fetus, such as:

• Cancer drugs such as thalidomide and methotrexate
• Antibiotics such as tetracycline and streptomycin
• ACE inhibitors which lower blood pressure
• Anticoagulant medicines such as warfarin
• Seizure drugs such as phenytoin and phenobarbitone
• Acne medicines containing isotretinoin

Be extra careful when taking medication during pregnancy. No need to worry too much about drugs. Do not be afraid to see the doctor before it is too late which might have a more serious effect on the fetus. Inform your doctor of the gestational age and the doctor will give you advice on the safe use of medicine.

Walking on the streets under the scorching heat of the sun, the skin burns easily. People will take actions to protect themselves from sunburn and lower the risks of getting skin cancer on days when the UV index is high. However, why are we still getting sunburn even when adequate protective measures are taken? Do not blame your sunblock because the medication you took may be the culprit!

Taking photosensitive drugs will make your skin more sensitive and vulnerable to sunburn. This is what we called “photosensitivity”. UV radiation in sunlight reacts with the photosensitive drug to produce chemicals harmful to the skin cells, causing inflammatory reactions. Symptoms include itching, redness, pain and rash. Since the symptoms are similar to that of eczema, most do not realize that it is photosensitivity reaction. Examples of medicines that can cause photosensitivity reaction include:

• Cancer drugs such as thalidomide and methotrexate
• Antibiotics such as levofloxacin and ciprofloxacin
• Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs such as naproxen and piroxicam
• Isotretinoins
• Diuretics such as furosemide and hydrochlorothiazide

This is not a complete list. There are numerous kinds of photosensitive medicines and not every person who uses these medicines has a reaction. If you notice that your skin is more sensitive to the sun after started on certain medication, do not stop taking it suddenly. Instead, talk to your doctor for further assessment. You can also protect your skin by wearing sun-protective clothing, carrying an umbrella or avoid going out when the UV light is the strongest.