Taobao Pharmacy Partners with Santen, Qilu, Hengrui and Three Other Pharma Giants to Launch 'Scientific Eye Care Alliance'

On June 6, on the occasion of the 31st National Eye Care Day, Taobao Medicine joined hands with public welfare organizations, partnering with Santen Pharmaceutical and Qilu Pharmaceutical,Hengrui Pharma、Shenyang Xingqi Eye Medicine, CMS Pharma, and Ruilin Pharmaceutical, six pharmaceutical companies jointly launched the “National Eye Care Day · Scientific Eye Protection Alliance”.

The Alliance has issued three initiatives to address public misconceptions such as blind stockpiling of medications and self-medication: promote scientific and standardized medication use, purchase medicines through legitimate channels, and protect eye health throughout the entire life cycle. Focusing on the prevention and treatment of dry eye disease and myopia control in adolescents, the Alliance will enhance patient education and guide medical consultation by inviting experts to provide science popularization and organizing community free clinics for specific populations, such as children and the elderly. Furthermore, the Alliance will strengthen out-of-hospital management to provide robust support to every patient.

Sullivan’s “2026 White Paper on China’s Ophthalmic Medical Device Industry” points out that, driven by multiple factors including population aging, the high prevalence of myopia among adolescents, and chronic disease management, the demand for ophthalmic diagnosis and treatment is shifting from “treating existing diseases” to “preventing potential diseases.” The frequent cross-occurrence and recurrence of ophthalmic diseases mean that patients require not just a single episode of care, but a continuum of support covering screening, medication, and long-term management. This is precisely the structural need that the alliance seeks to address.

MultipleHomePharmaceutical Companies’ Response: Deeply Empowering the Scientific Eye Care Ecosystem

Pei Hong, Head of Santen’s China Business, stated:"Many eye diseases are highly insidious. Taking glaucoma as an example, patients often seek medical attention only when symptoms become apparent, by which time the optimal window for intervention has already been missed. More important than providing medication is helping the public 'see' the risks to eye health, thereby seizing the best opportunity for early intervention." Therefore, Santen places paramount importance on enhancing public awareness of eye health. Pei Hong believes that internet platforms enable a level of continuity in long-term management that was previously difficult to achieve—particularly for patients in remote areas, who can access stable online services for prescription refills, follow-up consultations, and medication reminders after diagnosis. This addresses the aspect of chronic disease management where patient attrition was historically most prevalent.

Sun Yingxia, Deputy General Manager of Qilu Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd.She stated, “What we have consistently been doing is keeping the supply of medications for Chinese patients firmly in our own hands, reducing the cost of clinical drug use, and ensuring that high-quality ophthalmic medicines are accessible and affordable for patients in both urban and rural areas through the highest cost-performance ratio.” Addressing the “Scientific Eye Care Alliance,” Sun Yingxia defined three roles for Qilu Pharmaceutical: a leader in scientific eye care, a provider of high-quality products, and a deliverer of full-chain services. She believes this is a natural extension of Qilu’s philosophy of “International Quality, National Good Medicine.” Leveraging advanced manufacturing capabilities and strict quality control, Qilu produces high-quality medicines; collaborating with platform-based science popularization ecosystems, it disseminates scientific eye care knowledge; and it integrates prevention, screening, diagnosis, and treatment into everyday eye health management for every individual.

Huo Shiwen, Vice President of Hengrui PharmaHuo Shiwen believes that the value of innovative drugs lies in accessibility. "The greatest dilemma for many eye disease patients is not the lack of available medications, but rather not knowing how to select the right drug or use it correctly." Taking dry eye disease as an example, it is categorized into different types such as aqueous-deficient, lipid-deficient, and mixed types. Patients who self-medicate often use treatments that are not indicated for their specific condition, which may even delay proper management and worsen the disease. According to Huo Shiwen, for innovative pharmaceutical companies, developing high-quality drugs is only the first step; helping patients use medications correctly is an equally important endeavor. Ensuring that effective drugs truly deliver their therapeutic benefits constitutes a complete patient-centric closed loop. Through the Scientific Eye Care Alliance, Hengrui Pharma’s "patient-centric" philosophy will further extend to the "last mile" of medication access. Meanwhile, Hengrui is accelerating the research and development of innovative drugs in areas such as dry eye disease, myopia, and age-related macular degeneration, safeguarding eye health throughout the entire life cycle through innovation.

Eye Health Is a National Priority: Internet Platforms Should Provide Long-Term Support for the "Out-of-Hospital" Phase

As the alliance initiator,Zhang Ze, General Manager of the Self-Operated Business Division and General Manager of the Pharmaceutical Platform Business Department at AliHealthA Platform Perspective: The diagnosis and treatment of eye health always take place in professional medical institutions, while the value of internet platforms lies in solidifying out-of-hospital services—such as daily science popularization, refill reminders, medication guidance, and long-term follow-up—to complement in-hospital diagnosis and treatment.

“The growing strain on everyone’s eyes has made eye health a national priority.” Zhang Ze introduced, “Since launching its pharmaceutical e-commerce business in 2014, Taobao Medicine has established three core capabilities: In terms of drug safety, it ensures authentic sources through rigorous brand qualification reviews and traceability code technology; for rational medication use, it leverages resources from hundreds of full-time pharmacists and doctors at top-tier hospitals to assist users in standardized medication practices; regarding accessibility, by collaborating with Taobao Flash Sales in 2026, delivery can be achieved in as fast as 19 minutes, enhancing the experience in emergency scenarios.”

"Industry competition has shifted from a mere race for speed to a contest of comprehensive service experiences," stated Zhang Ze. He noted that the hallmark of chronic ophthalmic diseases is "diagnosis in the hospital, management in daily life." After a single outpatient visit, patients return to their home environments, where they require continuous medication reminders, updated health knowledge, and convenient repurchasing options—areas where internet platforms can effectively fill the gap. "Our goal is not short-term sales; rather, through our alliance, we collaborate with medical institutions, pharmaceutical companies, and public welfare organizations to empower users to transition from passive medication purchasing to proactive health management. Once this model is proven successful, it will be replicated in other long-term management scenarios, such as dermatology and sleep health."