The Gastrointestinal Research Group of the CUHK Faculty of Medicine has won the second-class award of the 2007 State Scientific and Technological Progress Award for its achievement and innovation in the treatment of peptic ulcer bleeding.
Prof. Joseph Sung, chairman, Department of Medicine and Therapeutics and director, Institute of Digestive Disease, CUHK, received the award at a ceremony held on 8 January in Beijing by the National Office for Science and Technology Awards.
The second-class scientific and technological progress award was conferred on the project entitled 'Innovative Non-surgical Treatments of Peptic Ulcer Bleeding', carried out by Prof. Joseph Sung, Prof. James Lau, Prof. Francis Chan, Prof. Enders Ng, Prof. Philip Chiu and Prof. Lee Yuk-tong of the Faculty of Medicine, and former dean of Medicine of CUHK, Prof. Sydney Chung.
The research of the team led by Prof. Sung has led to major advancements and new medical standards in the treatment of peptic ulcer, which can be a major threat to human health. With the development of novel non-surgical treatment of ulcer bleeding and pioneering use of anti-bacterial treatment in curing peptic ulcers without acid suppression, the peptic ulcer bleeding mortality rate has dropped from 10% to 4.4% over the past two decades and the need for surgery, blood transfusion and hospital stay, as well as ulcer occurrence and relapse, have been reduced.
The highly prestigious State Science and Technology Awards aims at rewarding citizens and organizations that have made outstanding contributions to scientific and technological progress. Progress awards are presented to individuals who have made outstanding contributions to the implementation of technology development and public welfare projects.