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Professor Anskar Leung Yu-hung from the Department of Medicine, School of Clinical Medicine, HKUMed, and his research team conducted a Phase 2 clinical trial (CTC1654) examining the combined use of two drugs, Quizartinib and Omacetaxine Mepesuccinate (together named as "QUIZOM"), in patients with FLT3-mutated acute myeloid leukaemia (AML). The study findings have been published in Nature Communications. Our sincere thanks to the 40 patients who took part in this study between 2017 and 2020 and the support from their family members.

What is "Acute Myeloid Leukaemia (FLT3 mutation)"?

Acute myeloid leukaemia is a highly lethal blood cancer, with around 300 new cases in Hong Kong each year. About 30% of patients carry the FLT3 mutation, which makes cancer cells grow faster and treatment more difficult. Even after bone marrow transplant, relapse risk remains high, where existing drugs can only control the disease temporarily.

Research Overview?

The study team enrolled 40 patients aged between 23 and 81 who were resistant to chemotherapy or had relapsed in this phase 2 study to observe their response to QUIZOM treatment. Study results showed that most of the patients achieved remission, with 13 of them completed bone marrow transplant at a later stage.

Looking Forward

The study team also discovered some leukaemia cells developed drug resistance via the PLD1 enzyme. Nonetheless, adding such targeted inhibitor is found to restore cell response to treatment. This mechanism has been filed for patent protection, offering a new direction for future research to overcome drug resistance.

Thank you again to all the patients who took part in this study, and made significant contribution to blood cancer research.

Professor Harry Gill from Department of Medicine, School of Clinical Medicine, HKUMed, and his team took part in a global Phase II clinical trial of the new drug Bomedemstat targeting Essential Thrombocythaemia. The results were recently published in the leading international haematology journal Blood Advances.

On 20 May, HKU Clinical Trials Centre brought clinical research to the community. From curious members of the public to research professionals across specialties, 500+ participants stopped by to explore the world of clinical trials.

A wonderful reminder that advancing medicine is a shared journey and every one of us has a role to play.

Highlights from the day:

Interactive Games: hands-on fun that brought clinical research to life

Information Exhibition: walking through the clinical trial journey and busting common myths

Limited-Edition Souvenirs: featuring our beloved HKU-CTC Panda Ambassadors

To everyone who joined us and shared their passion, thank you!

The University of Hong Kong (HKU) has achieved notable success in the third round of the Research, Academic and Industry Sectors One-plus (RAISe+) Scheme, established under the Innovation and Technology Commission (ITC) of the HKSAR Government. Seven research projects were selected for funding, marking the highest number among all local institutions. Notably, health and medical sciences account for three of the seven funded projects.

HKU-CTC is glad to be involved in one of these projects, "Peptide Drug Innovation and Discovery", led by Professor Xuechen Li from Department of Chemistry of HKU, supporting it throughout its clinical development lifecycle. HKU-CTC's Managing Director and Deputy Managing Director, Henry Yau and Creany Wong, participate as members of the project team, and will drive the Phase 1 trials at the HKU Phase 1 Clinical Trials Unit.

This latest milestone again reinforces HKU’s position as a catalyst for innovation and enterprise. HKU-CTC remains dedicated to supporting scientists in bringing innovative therapies to the community. 

(Available in Chinese only)

The University of Hong Kong secured three spots in the "Top 10 Innovation & Technology News in Hong Kong 2025”, organized by the Beijing-Hong Kong Academic Exchange Centre. The winners were selected through an online public vote involving over 4,000 participants from academia, research, education, and other sectors.

One of the awarded projects is the innovative “dual immunotherapy” for advanced liver cancer, led by Professor Thomas Yau, Clinical Associate Professor in the Centre of Cancer Medicine and Department of Medicine, School of Clinical Medicine, HKUMed. The novel approach combines two drugs, nivolumab and ipilimumab, to activate the immune system against advanced liver cancer cells. Professor Yau led his team, in collaboration with the HKU Clinical Trials Centre, to launch clinical trials starting from 2016 to evaluate its efficacy, safety and the effectiveness in prolonging patient survival. It has confirmed that this new therapy significantly improves survival rates and tumour control. This therapy has successfully received approvals from the US FDA, EMA, and China’s NMPA for use as a first-line treatment for adult patients with unresectable or metastatic liver cancer.

For more details on this research, please visit the website below: https://www.hku.hk/press/press-releases/detail/28418.html

In Hong Kong, approximately 410,000 people are suffering from chronic hepatitis B (CHB). However, the infection of hepatitis B virus (HBV) may remain asymptomatic at early stage. If appropriate treatment is not received promptly, the virus may replicate within the liver, gradually damage liver cells and develop secondary to cirrhosis, liver cancer or serious liver damage. The current available treatment options for HBV patients is adopting oral medication to suppress the virus development. Unfortunately, these drugs mostly serve to control the disease long-term rather than eliminate the virus completely, meaning patients often require lifelong medication to prevent disease progression and reduce the risk of virus transmission. 

A research team from the Department of Medicine, School of Clinical Medicine, LKS Faculty of Medicine, the University of Hong Kong (HKUMed) has been actively exploring innovative treatment strategies by targetting the root cause of virus infection. Through gene therapy, they aim to eradicate HBV from human's body and work towards the goal of achieving "functional cure" for patients. This approach may not only help patients break free from the burden of lifelong medication but also reduce the risks of developing liver cirrhosis and liver cancer later on. 

To learn more about the latest research directions in CHB treatment, watch the team's interview video here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bqXKC3NTloM

(Available in Chinese only)

(Available in Chinese only)

Thank you to all the patients who participated in the trial targetting the use of a ‘dual immunotherapy’ combination—nivolumab and ipilimumab (NIVO+IPI) — in the treatment of liver cancer patients between 2020 to 2021. This innovative treatment has proved to significantly improve survival rates and tumour control compared to current first-line treatments, lenvatinib and sorafenib. Recently it was approved by the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA), the European Medicines Agency (EMA) and China's National Medical Products Administration (NMPA) for global use, offering new hope to liver cancer patients worldwide.