Key Points
- For more than 20 years, Shenzhen PRO HITU Medical Co., LTD. has built ultrasound-guided focused ultrasound systems to treat uterine fibroids, placenta implantation, chronic pelvic pain, and more.
- We spoke with CEO George Zhang about its vision and what comes next for the company.
Shenzhen PRO HITU Medical Co., LTD., is an international, high-tech Chinese research and development (R&D) company founded more than 20 years ago that builds ultrasound-guided focused ultrasound systems. Its devices are approved in many countries to treat uterine fibroids, placenta implantation, chronic pelvic pain, and more. We first profiled PRO HITU in 2020, but much has happened in the last four years. We spoke with PRO HITU’s co-founder and CEO, George Zhang, for the update.
What are some of the most exciting milestones the company has experienced since 2020?
We have have had some exciting results! Most notably, we upgraded our robotic high-intensity focused ultrasound (HIFU) product and can now achieve both thermal and mechanical ablation. We also expanded its indications to include prostate disease and veterinary tumor treatment.
Have there been any leadership changes since we last talked?
We are fortunate to have a stable management team, and the leadership has not changed for many years.
How many employees do you have?
We currently have about 75 employees.
What are the benefits of your technology over companies?
1. High comfort – We use an upper-mounted treatment head, so patients do not need to come into contact directly with the coupled water. This greatly improves comfort during treatment, and the ultrasound pathway can be changed for better ultrasound transmission.
2. High safety – PRO uses pulsed ultrasound, and the device can be stopped immediately if the patient feels pain. At present, there have been no irreversible accidents.
3. Noninvasive – The device requires no incisions, no blood, no risk of infection, and no need for hospitalization. It allows for a quick recovery, and treatment can be repeated if necessary.
Where is your system approved for commercial use and for which indications?
The company’s products have obtained medical device registration certificates in China (NMPA), Hong Kong (MDD), Taiwan (TFDA), Europe (CE mark), South Korea (KFDA), and Malaysia (MDA). The medical device can be sold in hospitals for the treatment of uterine (adenoid) myoma (uterine fibroids), scar pregnancy, placenta implantation, and chronic pelvic pain.
Are there other conditions or diseases you plan to be able to treat?
At present, we are constantly expanding the therapeutic indications of focused ultrasound, such as for benign prostatic hyperplasia, breast fibroma, fat reduction, chronic pain, and other treatments, and we have made good progress.
Are there ongoing or planned clinical trials for these diseases?
We have upgraded the PRO device to three new versions: PRO300B, PRO300S, and PRO300P to be tested to address breast fibroadenoma, fat reduction, and benign prostatic hyperplasia treatment, respectively. The new version can achieve both thermal and mechanical ablation in one device. We have several clinical trials planned.
Have you learned any lessons from watching the experience of the other companies?
We have been learning from great companies in the world and companies in this field to learn their strengths and avoid mistakes. For example, the therapy transducer must be R&D by ourselves, and its production must be confined to our own company. Second, in the development and design of the first generation of products, the prone position was used instead of the supine position, and it is this choice that has led to the robot-assisted ultrasound focused therapy system of our second generation of products.
What are your most pressing challenges?
As more and more companies engage in focused ultrasound, the challenge we face is how to work with other companies in this field to make this advanced technology quicker and more applicable for clinical use. How do we expand the clinical application of this technology so that more patients can enjoy noninvasive treatment technology? The second challenge is how to embrace new technologies and constantly upgrade our treatment systems to make them better for clinical use.
Do you partner with other companies?
PRO HITU has cooperated with the Shenzhen Institute of Advanced Technology of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Tongji University, Shenzhen University, Hunan Normal University, and Nanjing University. The PRO Research Institute was established in 2005, which constitutes a scientific product development system and a stable and efficient R&D team. PRO focuses on the noninvasive treatment system for gynecological diseases. It has carried out research in cooperation with many hospitals and achieved good clinical results. These hospitals include Xiangya Hospital of Central South University, the Second Affiliated Hospital of Zhejiang University, Renji Hospital of Shanghai Jiaotong University School of Medicine, the First Affiliated Hospital of Jinan University, Shuguang Hospital of Shanghai University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, and Peking University People’s Hospital.
What do you hope the company achieves in the next five years?
We want to expand the indication for more diseases to benefit more patients, and we want to expand our market to more countries in the world.