Merck and KingMed Diagnostics Announce Strategic Collaboration to Advance Precision Treatment of Colorectal Cancer in China

• Merck & KingMedMedicineEstablish a strategic partnership to jointly enhance the awareness of molecular biomarker (including RAS/BRAF) genetic testing for colorectal cancer in hospitals, help hospitals optimize molecular biomarker testing processes, and enable patients to receive precise treatment.

• Through this strategic alliance between two industry leaders, we will continue to provide precise and reliable testing technologies, promote the standardization and normalization of molecular marker (including RAS/BRAF) genetic testing processes for colorectal cancer, reduce testing turnaround time, and lower testing costs.

On July 8, 2019, Merck Group, a global leader in technology, and KingMed Diagnostics, a benchmark in the third-party medical testing industry, entered into a strategic partnership agreement on genetic testing for colorectal cancer. The two parties will focus on precision diagnosis and precision treatment of colorectal cancer in China, jointly promoting the standardization and normalization of molecular marker testing for colorectal cancer, thereby helping physicians and patients select optimal treatment regimens.

Group Photo of the Strategic Cooperation Signing Ceremony between Merck and KingMed

“Merck is committed to developing and providing innovative, high-quality therapies for patients, addressing unmet medical needs. Colorectal cancer is one of the most aggressive malignancies affecting patients in China. Through precise diagnosis and targeted treatment, we help physicians optimize therapeutic regimens, thereby extending patients’ lives,” said Roger Liang, Managing Director of Merck China’s Biopharma Business. “Our vision is to impact the lives of 40 million patients in China by 2025. By partnering with KingMed Diagnostics, Merck aims to jointly advance precision medicine in colorectal cancer and contribute to the establishment of industry standards.”

Roger Ren, Managing Director of Merck China's Biopharmaceutical Business

“KingMed Diagnostics has always placed clinical needs at the forefront. Through this collaboration with Merck, KingMed will leverage our extensive and mature specimen submission network, transportation and logistics systems, standardized laboratories, and professional academic team to join forces with Merck. Together, we will continue to provide precise and reliable testing technologies, promote diagnostic concepts, and drive the standardization and normalization of molecular marker (including RAS/BRAF) genetic testing processes for colorectal cancer. This partnership aims to shorten test turnaround times, reduce testing costs, and benefit more Chinese patients with advanced colorectal cancer,” stated Yang Wanfeng, Vice President of KingMed Diagnostics.

Yang Wanfeng, Vice President of KingMed Diagnostics

In recent years, the incidence of colorectal cancer has continued to rise. According to the "2015 China Cancer Statistics," there were 376,300 new cases of colorectal cancer and 191,000 deaths from this disease. Based on the 2018 national cancer statistics, the incidence of colorectal cancer ranked third, following only lung cancer and gastric cancer. The early stage of colorectal cancer progresses slowly, with insidious and easily confused symptoms, making it difficult to detect or often overlooked in its early stages. As a result, most patients are diagnosed at intermediate or advanced stages in clinical practice, posing significant challenges to treatment.

Like a key fitting a specific lock, precision medicine has upgraded the treatment paradigm for colorectal cancer, delivering greater clinical benefits to patients with advanced metastatic disease. Liang Jun, Vice President of Peking University International Hospital and Director of its Cancer Center, stated that improving patient survival rates is the paramount clinical objective. Currently, colorectal cancer management has entered the era of precision medicine. Genetic testing provides valuable clinical guidance, enabling physicians to select more appropriate medications for individual patients and formulate precise treatment plans. In recent years, multiple anticancer drugs have been included in the National Reimbursement Drug List, and imported anticancer drugs are now subject to zero tariffs. However, there remains a significant gap between China and Western countries in the capacity to perform genetic testing. Experts advocate for the inclusion of targeted therapy-related genetic testing in the national medical insurance reimbursement scheme, similar to anticancer drugs, to make these tests more affordable for cancer patients and thereby facilitate the implementation of precision medicine.

Liang Jun, Deputy President of Peking University International Hospital and Director of the Oncology Center

The 2018 “Expert Consensus on Molecular Biomarker Testing in Colorectal Cancer” recommends that patients with clinically confirmed recurrent or metastatic colorectal cancer undergo molecular marker testing (including RAS/BRAF) to help predict the efficacy of drug therapy and disease prognosis.

However, the current detection rate of molecular markers (including RAS/BRAF) for colorectal cancer among patients is only around 20-30%, particularly in second- and third-tier cities or regions with underdeveloped medical resources, which affects the diagnosis and selection of personalized treatment plans for colorectal cancer patients. The reasons include, on one hand, insufficient awareness among physicians regarding the importance of molecular marker testing for colorectal cancer; on the other hand, practical issues such as inconsistent genetic testing methods and procedures, long testing cycles, and high costs. It is understood that many hospitals in China have not yet established in-house molecular pathology testing platforms and rely on external laboratories for genetic testing. Standardized and regulated external testing platforms can meet the needs of hospitals for molecular pathology testing and ensure test quality.

Merck ChinaPharmaceuticalsMao Jingmei, Vice President of Health Business and Head of Medical Affairs

Mao Jingmei, Vice President of Merck China’s Healthcare Business and Head of Medical Affairs, stated: “The annual number of newly diagnosed cancer patients in China continues to rise year by year. Upholding its ‘Courage to Care’ philosophy, Merck is accelerating innovation and R&D in oncology drugs to help more cancer patients prolong their survival. In 2015, Merck’s Medical Department established the Biomarker Science Liaison (BSL) team, which focuses on advancing precision testing and treatment for colorectal cancer and collaborates with multiple stakeholders to promote the standardization and normalization of molecular biomarker testing for colorectal cancer. Through this collaboration with KingMed Diagnostics, both parties will jointly build a regional academic platform to enhance awareness of genetic testing, optimize processes for colorectal cancer genetic testing, and advance understanding of such testing.”