Exclusive interview of Zhejiang TV with Tongee Medical Technology, pioneer of breakthrough technology for metabolic disease therapy

The health of a country’s population is an important indication of its prosperity and advancement, and in this regard, the availability of medical care ensures protect of people’s health. Tongee Medical Technology Co., Ltd. (“Tongee”), a pioneer of state-of-the-art therapies for metabolic diseases such as obesity, Type II diabetes and non-alcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH), has leveraged on its considerable research resources to conduct development of an all-new micro-surgery insertion technology. Called “gastric bypass stent system”, the technology is currently under development and clinical studies and has received widespread attention. For this reason Zhejiang TV Station visited Tongee in August 2021 to conduct an exclusive interview with its Founder & CEO Zuo Yuxing for its “Focus on Zhejiang Merchants” program.;

(“Focus on Zhejiang Merchants” host interviewing Tongee Founder & CEO Zuo Yuxing)

“Focus on Zhejiang Merchants” is a television program of Zhejiang TV focusing on brand-building efforts by enterprises. Its attraction lies in its presentation of success stories of local (Zhejiang-based) enterprises and their entrepreneurial experience to viewers. Founded in 2016, Tongee is a strong supporter of innovative medical technologies in China. “Gastric bypass stent system”, one of its main projects, is currently undergoing clinical studies.

(Production team of “Focus on Zhejiang Merchants” at Tongee for the program)

According to CEO Zuo,Tongee is aware of the enormous harm of metabolic diseases on the general population and for that the State has devoted untold expenses in public health against such diseases. During the press conference held by the State Council Information Office in December 2020 for “2020 Report on Chinese Residents’ Chronic Diseases and Nutrition”, Zhao Wenhua, Chief Nutrition Expert of Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CCDC) said that more than 50% of adults in China suffer from obesity, as were nearly 20% of children from ages 6-17, and 10% of children below 6 years of age. According to a report published by the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD), medical expenses of its member countries on the treatment of obesity-related diseases made up about 8.4% of total health cost. The cost of dealing with health and social issues caused by metabolic diseases such as obesity is therefore obvious and significant.

(News broadcast of Tongee interview on Zhejiang TV)

At present understanding by Chinese medical profession of metabolic diseases and hence their treatment are still at an infancy stage. Surgical therapy is typically involved from a medical perspective and there is a dearth of therapies which involve other professional disciplines - endoscopic therapy, fr example, is almost non-existent - but this looks set to be overcome with Tongee embarking on clinical studies of “gastric bypass stent system”.

It is understood that “gastric bypass stent system” can be inserted or recovered without surgical procedures as this can be done by way of gastroscope. Compared with traditional weight-loss surgery it is therefore easier in operation, and does not harm physiological structure. It allows less harm to patients. The system’s treatment principle involves the insertion of cannula in duodenum and superior part of jejunum using gastroscope to separate chyme. Food in the stomach passes through the cannula while bile and pancreatic juice are prevented from mixing with it, thus achieving a “bypass” effect and hence digestion and absorption of of food. Clinically it is found to be helpful in controlling metabolic diseases such as obesity, Type II diabetes and NASH and therefore possesses good outlook.

In September 2018 Tongee together with Zhejiang University and Zhejiang Chinese Medical University jointly submitted an application, and received approval for “key provincial research plan project namely research in new metabolic disease technology. The project was more specifically, clinical studies in gastric bypass stent insertion as treatment of obesity-related NASH diseases. At present clinical studies of Tongee’s “gastric bypass stent system” insertion to treat obesity have already begun in several Grade A hospitals in Beijing, Nanjing, Tianjin, Xi'an, Shenyang, Harbin and Hohhot, all of which yielding encouraging results. Current study results show that three months after insertion of the stent, there was significant reduction in test patients’ excess weight, hemoglobin A1c (HbA1c) and liver stiffness.

(Tongee’s 100,000-grade GMP-compliant laminar flow room)

Following five years of unceasing effort,Tongee has become a unicorn known for its technological innovation. As at June 2021, Tongee’s “gastric bypass stent system” has garnered over 20 local and foreign patents. Of these, 4 invention patents are currently under review in the U.S., EU, Japan and Russia. The stent system has also in August 2020 received review by Center for Medical Device Evaluation under National Medical Products Administration (NMPA), and has been designated Type 2 innovative medical device by the Administration.

On Tongee’s strategic plans for the future, CEO Zuo said that the company will dive deep into clinical studies on gastric bypass stent system, as well as continue to undertake research, development and production of other technological means to combat metabolic diseases. As a responsible private enterprise, Tongee will take upon itself, a mission of “helping metabolic disease patients worldwide to alleviate their suffering, rediscover health and happiness”. It sees itself as helping China’s medical and heath endeavors and uses it strength in research, develop more efficient, innovative therapies for metabolic disease patients.