This past February, a research team led by Professor Sun Xin at the Chinese Evidence -based Medicine Center of West China Hospital published an invited analysis paper entitled “Real World Evidence: Experience and Lessons from China ” in the prestigious British Medical Journal(www.bmj.com/content/360/bmj.j5262). Co-authors of the paper included experts from the Center for Drug Re-Evaluation at the State Food and Drug Administration, University of Cincinnati, and the Chinese Evidence-based Medicine Center.

This paper represents one of four serialized articles on “Medical Research in China” published by the BMJ (www.bmj.com/medical-research-China); it is the first time since the initiation of the BMJ that the journal is publishing commissioned academic papers authored by Chinese experts discussing hot topics in current Chinese medical research. The paper offers detailed analysis of the present situation, challenges and future development strategies of real-world studies in China. The publication of this paper demonstrates that the work on real-world studies undertaken by Professor Sun and the Chinese evidence-based Medicine Center has been recognized by the international medical research community.

To date, Professor Sun and his team have published eleven academic papers in the BMJ, as either first or corresponding authorships. In 2017, Sun and his team received the prestigious BMJ Award for Excellence. It was the first Chinese group ever to win it.