China grants emergency approval for homegrown ECMO

China's National Medical Products Administration (NMPA) said Thursday that it has given emergency approval to the country's first homegrown extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) device and its accompanying kit.

The ECMO device and its supply kit, developed by Shenzhen-based Chinabridge Medical, can support adult patients with acute respiratory or cardiopulmonary failures that other treatments cannot control and who are facing risks of deterioration or even death, according to the NMPA.

The NMPA said the products have independent intellectual property rights, and their performance indicators are on a par with similar foreign products.

As a treatment measure for severe patients specified in China's COVID-19 diagnosis and treatment plan, the NMPA said it expects the market approval of the domestically-made ECMO to meet urgent clinical needs and play a crucial role in epidemic control.