Active Search for New Medical Innovations as a learning program to promote effective research and development of medical innovations in Thailand
End : 31 July 2025
Active Search for New Medical Innovations as a learning program to promote effective research and development of medical innovations in Thailand
About Project
The development of medical innovation is a key strategic priority of Thailand under the 13th National Economic and Social Development Plan, which aims to position the country as a hub for high-value medical and healthcare services. However, despite the continuous growth of medical research in Thailand, many innovations have not successfully progressed into real-world implementation or commercialization due to limitations in the research support and innovation translation system.
The project entitled “Identification of High-Potential Thai Medical Innovations for Expansion into the National Health Insurance System” was therefore established to identify and evaluate medical innovations in the development stage through the MIDAS Medical Innovation Hackathon 2025. Innovations were assessed using the frameworks of Early Health Technology Assessment (early HTA) and Profiting from Innovation (PFI) to evaluate their alignment with healthcare system needs, technological potential, and commercial viability.
The study found that many innovations still do not adequately address the major needs of Thailand’s healthcare system, although some focused on high-burden diseases such as cardiovascular diseases, cancer, diabetes, and kidney disease. Most innovations also lacked clear strategies for practical implementation and commercialization, including patent protection, product standardization, business network development, and health economic evaluation.
Key barriers faced by innovators included insufficient research funding, technical challenges, regulatory approval processes, and limited market access. The main needs identified by developers were financial support, business development assistance, and market linkage opportunities, highlighting the importance of establishing a comprehensive innovation support system that extends beyond basic research to include policy, commercialization, and business development support.
The project also piloted the application of early HTA for selected high-potential innovations to provide guidance on defining target product characteristics and innovation success indicators within the Thai context. Policy recommendations from the study include more flexible funding mechanisms, promotion of patent registration and early health economic evaluation, and stronger collaboration among government agencies, academic institutions, and the private sector to sustainably translate innovations from research into the healthcare system.
