Kunming City, First People's Hospital.
Another patient infected with multidrug-resistant Acinetobacter baumannii was completely cured by the antibiotics carried by the nanopills and was transferred from the ICU to the general ward.
The foreign experts who watched the entire treatment process couldn't help but applaud.
Back in the conference room, Dr. Harrison flipped through the medical records of all clinical trial patients and sighed in admiration.
"In just one week, we have seen no less than 20 patients saved by nanopills, which is simply a miracle."
Others also sighed and talked about it.
"Yes, even in Cleveland, patients with such serious infections are helpless."
"Many high-grade antibiotics are more or less toxic and can cause damage to liver and kidney function. Patients already have signs of organ failure. Without nanopills, I would not dare to prescribe vancomycin and polymyxin." drug."
"In a life-or-death situation, it may still be used, but it's really hard to say whether the dosage will save people or kill people."
“With nanopills, I can safely prescribe high-grade antibiotics in the future.”
"Commonly used penicillins and cephalosporins are very safe, but unfortunately they are not effective against superbugs."
Dr. Hanke, director of the Department of Infectious Diseases, was deeply touched by this and sighed: "Nano pills can delay the development of drug resistance, but it is only a matter of time before we enter the post-antibiotic era. If things continue like this, there will soon be no drugs available. "
Dr. Harrison was surprised: "Is the matter already so serious?"
Hank nodded affirmatively: "Antibiotic resistance is already a global problem. And it continues to spread and worsen. Hundreds of thousands of people die from drug-resistant infections every year, especially in low- and middle-income countries."
"This is a silent pandemic."
"If no effective new antibiotics emerge in the future, more people will die from superbugs."
Someone asked worriedly: "Is there any solution?"
"There are two main ways to address antibiotic resistance," Hank explains. "One is to develop new antibiotics to replace those that are no longer effective, and the other is to manage and use existing antibiotics more wisely."
"The latter can only be used as a mitigation measure and cannot cure the disease. The most fundamental solution is still to develop new antibiotics."
"But the biggest problem right now is that no pharmaceutical companies are willing to develop new antibiotics, causing the antibiotic market to gradually dry up."
"Compared with other drugs, antibiotics require extremely high investment and low returns, which discourages pharmaceutical companies."
“Pharmaceutical giants Sanofi, Novartis, AstraZeneca, Roche, Bristol-Myers Squibb, etc. have all withdrawn from the antibiotic market and moved into more lucrative areas. Although Pfizer still produces antibacterial drugs, it closed down ten years ago. Antibiotic labs, even Johnson & Johnson, the largest pharmaceutical company in the world, no longer make antibiotics.”
“Large pharmaceutical companies are critical to the antibiotic ecosystem because of their ability to provide extensive manufacturing infrastructure and global distribution capabilities, and their exit leaves uncertainty about the future of the antibiotic market while taking away critical human and infrastructure resources. , leaving only a few small and medium-sized enterprises engaged in antibiotic research."
"Maybe only a few pharmaceutical giants such as Bayer and Merck are still developing antibiotics. I don't know how long they can persist."
"The fundamental reason is that it is difficult to discover new antibiotics. All the antibiotics currently on pharmacy shelves are derivatives of previous antibiotics and use limited methods to attack pathogens. Bacteria have long been accustomed to it and have evolved new ways to fight it. , while humanity has remained stagnant.”
"Since 2000, only two new antibiotic drugs, linezolid and daptomycin, have been approved."
“Not only are pharmaceutical companies not discovering new antibiotics, the number of original antibiotics is also decreasing. A total of 155 antibiotics have been on the market over the years, but due to drug resistance, toxicity and replacement by new generation derivatives, only 96 antibiotics are currently available. "
"From sulfa to penicillin, streptomycin, and then to broad-spectrum antibiotics, every time a new effective drug is successfully discovered, sometimes just a few months later, the bacteria will become resistant again and reappear. Come."
"Bacteria are so adaptable that, essentially, humans will never be able to completely eradicate them."
"This is a war doomed to fail. The discovery of penicillin was once hailed as a miracle, but it is likely that in the near future, people will once again be helpless in the face of bacterial infections as they were a hundred years ago."
Dr. Hank sighed, his expression turning gloomy.
However, he quickly cheered up and said.
"Of course, there are also people who are developing new antibiotics, but the molecules of these antibacterial drugs are the same as polymyxins and are very toxic to the human body, so their uses are limited. However, with nanopills, their toxicity can be greatly reduced. , so that they can be used.”
"This is also the great significance of nanopills. Although we will eventually lose this war, at least we can lose it slower."
Everyone looked at each other after hearing these words, and the atmosphere in the conference room became a little depressing for a while.
Dr. Harrison frowned and said, "Hank, you are too pessimistic. Humanity's technology is also constantly developing. We have excellent pharmaceutical companies that can continuously develop new weapons to deal with bacteria."
Hank smiled bitterly and said: "I hope so. Maybe I have seen too many tragedies in clinical practice, so I can't help but be a little pessimistic."
Dr. Roman spread his hands and said with a smile: "I must remind you that humans are more tenacious than bacterial pathogens. In this endless war, I firmly believe that humans will win the final victory."
Others chimed in: “Yes, scientists’ adaptability is unbeatable.”
Hank nodded: "Although I think it is impossible for humans to have the last laugh, this glimmer of hope does exist."
"The war between humans and bacteria has lasted for thousands of years. When broad-spectrum antibiotics were discovered, they had already won once."
"I have no doubt that there will be a second, third victory."
Dr. Harrison shook his head, interrupting Dr. Hank.
"Let time test everything. Let us focus on the present now, look at these medical records, and talk about the gains during this period."
The director of the hematology department showed excitement and raised his hand impatiently.
"Wow, artificial blood is the real miracle, did you know? This thing is exactly the same as real human blood."
Dr. Roman joked: "It is originally derived from differentiation of human cells. Could it be that it is still made from pig blood?"
"Haha, you don't understand this. From somatic cells to iPS pluripotent stem cells, to hematopoietic stem cells, and then to blood, there are so many steps. There are infinite possibilities in between. If there is a little mistake, it is impossible to create a real blood."
"Sanqing has such stem cell technology. In a few years, I can't even imagine what else it can produce."
Dr. Harrison's expression became solemn: "Artificial blood is also an organ of the human body. It is not impossible if it can be developed from small to large, from blood, to blood vessels, to a liver with regenerative capabilities, and even other internal organs."
Dr. Charlie chuckled and said: "I really want to see them come up with an artificial heart, a real heart that can beat loudly and survive in the body for a long time, instead of a pig's heart that can only be used for a month or two."
Dr. Roman spread his hands again: "Maybe it's possible. If you ask me, among the companies in the world that are most promising to develop artificial organs, I'm still the most optimistic about Sanqing."
"I look forward to the day when iPS stem cells can differentiate into nerve cells, instead of directly injecting stem cells into the brain and creating a bunch of tumors like some quack doctors do now, and asking me to wipe their butts."
Harrison smiled knowingly and interrupted: "The young female doctor who asked you a question, what are her skills like?"
Dr. Roman said seriously: "Dr. Jane's skills are very good. The most rare thing is that her hands were as hard and steady as rocks during the five or six hours of surgery. It is really rare. This is the most important thing in neurosurgery." talent.”
"Dean, I strongly suggest you poach her to Cleveland, if she is willing."
Harrison laughed: "Haha, you are so funny. I bet Dr. Jane's husband would not agree. By the way, do you know who her husband is?"
Roman raised the corner of his mouth, with a hint of amusement in his expression, and asked, "Oh, is she married to a hospital director? That's right. With her excellence, her husband must be no ordinary person."
"Haha, she is the boss lady of Sanqing Group." Harrison ignored Roman's joke and said seriously.
Roman was stunned for a moment, with a look of disbelief on his face, and asked: "That Mr. Wei?"
Dr. Harrison nodded, a sly smile appearing on his face.
"So you understand why I insist on coming to this hospital in Kunming to study and exchange."
Everyone suddenly understood and praised: "The dean is wise."
"I see, then we will naturally have to cooperate well with this hospital and come to learn from it often in the future."
"Haha, I've thought of this too." Harrison took out a document in Chinese and English from his bag, put it on the table and said.
"I have reached an in-depth cooperation agreement with President Fang. From now on, two groups of doctors will be sent here every year to participate in Sanqing's clinical trials and learn the most advanced medical technology."
The directors were immediately surprised and delighted: "That's great. There are many young doctors in my department who really need this opportunity."
Cleveland was mainly here to lead the inspection this time, so all the department directors were present to express their sincerity, so it would be impossible to send all the directors here later.
If a long-term cooperative relationship is reached, key personnel and young doctors from major departments in the hospital will definitely be sent over, so as to maintain a virtuous cycle.
Dr. Roman was overjoyed and said: "Dean, actually, I was just about to tell you that based on my observations this week, Huaxia hospitals receive a lot of patients, so there are also many difficult and complicated diseases, and the treatment plans are very difficult, almost The best in the world, in such an environment, doctors’ skills will advance by leaps and bounds over time.”
"Unlike hospitals in Yingguo, hospitals in Huaxia also encourage doctors in departments to study and accumulate clinical experience in subdivided fields. This will give them a more holistic view and a deeper and more comprehensive understanding of the human body, the most sophisticated instrument. It’s easier to handle complex situations.”
"In this way, there will be very obvious advantages in both the treatment of patients with complex diseases and the professional growth of doctors."
"Doctors in Eagle Country, even in top hospitals like ours in Cleveland, only specialize in the treatment of one type or even one disease. From pre-operative patient conversations, formulating surgical plans, to the entire process of surgical execution, doctors embody Highly proficient in process-oriented operations, we only serve as a focal point in the chain, maximizing work efficiency."
“But high efficiency means reduced costs, but at the same time, it is precisely because of this high degree of professionalism that our doctors know very little about other subdivisions of their profession, and most of them only specialize in one category or even one disease. treat."
"From this point of view, we can definitely learn from each other's strong points and make up for our shortcomings. We can send young doctors here to learn Hua Xia Hospital's overall view and treatment of complex diseases. They will definitely be able to get enough training and make rapid progress."
The director of the urology department nodded with deep sympathy: "That's right, do you still remember the doctor in my department? He only does stone surgery in his life."
The other directors all laughed out loud.
Roman held his stomach and laughed for a long time before asking: "I remember he was the urologist invited by Dean Harrison. It turned out that he could only perform urinary tract stone surgery, but he did a very good job in minimally invasive surgery. Why didn’t the dean renew the contract?”
Director Harrison's face darkened and he said with a straight face: "You remember wrongly. That was an expert invited by the former dean. It has nothing to do with me. Later, after extracorporeal shock wave lithotripsy became the preferred method for treating kidney stones, the surgery became more and more popular. No, I won’t keep him any longer.”
Roman smiled awkwardly: "Maybe I remembered it wrong." He lowered his head and read the medical records intently.
Time flew by quickly, and soon it was time to leave.
In a short period of time, this group of experts at the Cleveland Clinic has formed a deep friendship with various major departments, and the relationship is very harmonious, laying the foundation for subsequent cooperation.
Dr. Harrison is not idle either. As the dean, he does not need to see patients or perform surgeries, so he is either in meetings or running outside all day long.
Not only did he negotiate a long-term cooperation agreement with President Fang, he also became familiar with the health commissions of Kunming City and Jiangsu Province. He even negotiated the exchange and cooperation project between the two parties and became a major achievement of the Jiangsu Provincial Health Commission. It was widely reported in the media.
The consultations and surgeries performed by foreign experts have also made Kunming First People's Hospital completely famous.
After the reputation spread, patients from Haishi bought scalper tickets to come to Kunshi for medical treatment.
For a moment, it can be said that he stole the show.
In particular, the hospital announced a cooperation agreement, stating that joint consultations and surgeries with foreign experts will be held regularly in the future.
The patients were so excited that they seemed to regard Kunming People's Hospital as one of the best hospitals in China.
After all, directors from the world's top hospitals came out in droves to come to Hua Xia Hospital for consultation. It was so rare.
In the past, there were only one or two foreign experts at a time. They basically came to visit acupuncture points, use flying knives, and shoot in different places. They rarely stayed in one place.
Therefore, when Harrison and his party left, Academician Fang was a little reluctant to leave.
This time, the pie fell from the sky. Not only did it earn a wave of performance, but it also took the opportunity to ask for a large amount of funds from above.
So, he very generously held a grand farewell party and personally put the foreign guests on the plane.
