Gaoji Healthcare and AstraZeneca Sign Strategic Agreement at CIIE to Enhance Access to Innovative Breast Cancer Therapies

On November 6, at the Fifth China International Import Expo (CIIE), Gaoji Health and AstraZeneca announced the signing of a strategic cooperation agreement. Both parties will continue to deepen their collaboration and leverage the opportunities presented by the CIIE to jointly promote precise, whole-course disease management services for cancer-specific conditions, such as breast cancer. They aim to enhance access to health services, including innovative oncology drugs, support the strategic goals of “Healthy China 2030,” and improve the five-year survival rate for cancer patients in China. Emerging pharmaceutical distribution and healthcare service groups like Gaoji Health will collaborate more closely with multinational pharmaceutical companies operating in China and domestic pharmaceutical enterprises to foster the healthy development of an innovative, collaborative, and open healthcare ecosystem.

 (From left to right: Ms. Zhao Huizhong, Executive Director of Enhertu, Oncology Business Unit, AstraZeneca China; Mr. Liu Qian, Vice President of AstraZeneca China and Head of the Omnichannel Business Unit; Mr. Chen Kangwei, General Manager of the Oncology Business Unit, AstraZeneca China; Ms. Xie Qiong, Vice President of AstraZeneca China and Head of the Oncology, Urology, Gynecology, and Women’s Oncology Business Unit; Mr. Wang Legang, Senior Vice President of Gaoji Medical; Mr. Li Bo, Chief Executive Officer of Gaoji Medical; Mr. Wang Bin, Senior Director of the Internet Healthcare and Innovative Drugs Business Unit, Gaoji Medical; Mr. Tang Lei, Director of the Commercial Center, Internet Healthcare and Innovative Drugs Business Unit, Gaoji Medical)

At the signing ceremony, Li Bo, CEO of Gaoji Medical, stated: “With a network of over 10,000 chain pharmacies and DTP (Direct-to-Patient) pharmacies covering more than 300 prefecture-level cities across China, along with five self-built internet hospitals serving as entry points for primary healthcare services, Gaoji Medical has demonstrated through practice its role as the first line of defense in early screening, tiered diagnosis and treatment, establishment of out-of-hospital electronic health records, health consultation and services, and community health protection. By leveraging face-to-face communication at offline pharmacies and collaborating with our unique professional team comprising ‘one internet hospital physician, one licensed pharmacist, and one chronic disease management specialist,’ we provide answers to patient inquiries and create a closed-loop service model integrating ‘medical care, pharmaceuticals, and health management.’”

Address by Li Bo, CEO of Gaoji Medical

Li Bo pointed out, “AstraZeneca is a global leading biopharmaceutical company. Gaoji Medical looks forward to joining hands with AstraZeneca to deepen the foundation of our existing cooperation and jointly build an open, collaborative, and innovative health ecosystem. Announcing this strategic partnership on the platform of the China International Import Expo (CIIE) not only embodies the CIIE’s theme of ‘promoting sharing and win-win outcomes through openness,’ but also marks a new chapter in our future collaboration. Upholding our original commitment to serving patients, we will leverage our comprehensive digital product portfolio and full-scenario digital operational capabilities in healthcare to jointly enhance the accessibility and affordability of innovative oncology medicines and services for patients. We aim to establish a patient-centric management platform to promote the integration of diagnosis and treatment, collaboratively explore novel patient management models, and facilitate the decentralization of high-quality medical resources.”

At the signing ceremony, Chen Kangwei, General Manager of AstraZeneca China’s Oncology Business Unit, stated, “AstraZeneca’s booth this year is themed ‘Championing Innovation, Committing to China, Linking the World.’ Through the China International Import Expo (CIIE), we aim to continuously expand innovative collaboration opportunities with partners across government, industry, academia, research, healthcare, and investment sectors, thereby strengthening industrial innovation capabilities. By adopting a ‘bring in, go global’ approach, we will leverage China’s industrial advantages to connect with global opportunities. Since entering the Chinese market in 1993, AstraZeneca has remained patient-centric, deeply engaged in addressing the most challenging oncology diseases, and consistently working to introduce innovative medicines to China for the benefit of Chinese patients. This strategic partnership with Gaoji Medical further underscores AstraZeneca’s patient-centric values, facilitating integrated patient diagnosis and treatment while improving the accessibility and affordability of innovative therapies for patients with advanced breast cancer.”

One year ago, as a leading enterprise in healthcare services, Gaoji Medical joined forces with AstraZeneca and other companies to launch the “Guarding the Rare” Lung Cancer Public Benefit Map mini-program. Leveraging its nationwide channel resources, Gaoji Medical worked closely with physicians and hospitals to help more patients with rare-mutation lung cancer access high-quality pharmaceutical resources and health services, bringing hope to tens of thousands of cancer patients. With this strategic cooperation, the two parties are once again joining hands to benefit more cancer patients and create greater social value.

According to data released by the World Health Organization in 2020, there were 2.26 million new cases of breast cancer worldwide, surpassing the 2.2 million new cases of lung cancer. Breast cancer has thus replaced lung cancer as the most common cancer globally. Data from the National Cancer Center indicates that breast cancer has become the leading malignant tumor threatening the physical and mental health of women. In 2021, China recorded approximately 420,000 new cases of breast cancer. Moreover, the average age of onset for breast cancer among Chinese women is trending younger, averaging around 45 years old, which is 10 years younger than in European and American countries. Furthermore, due to challenges such as a low proportion of early-stage cases presenting for clinical care, low rates of early diagnosis, and non-standardized clinical diagnosis and treatment of advanced cases, China faces significant difficulties in the prevention, control, and treatment of breast cancer.

With advancements in healthcare, the therapeutic outcomes for breast cancer in China have been steadily improving. Currently, a range of chemotherapy, endocrine therapy, targeted therapy, and immunotherapy drugs have come to market, while the preventive concept of “early screening, early diagnosis, and early treatment” has gained widespread acceptance. The five-year survival rate for breast cancer patients in China has reached 83.2%, marking the entry of breast cancer diagnosis and treatment into the era of chronic disease management. According to the strategic plan of “Healthy China 2030,” the overall five-year cancer survival rate is set to increase by an additional 15% by 2030.

Leveraging its robust supply chain capabilities, Gaoji Medical focuses intensively on the management of special and chronic diseases, delving into single-disease specialties. For instance, it provides whole-course disease management services for patients with specific conditions such as cancer. In scenarios outside hospital-based care, professional tools connect doctors and patients, licensed pharmacists conduct long-term follow-up guidance, and a digital innovation platform facilitates interaction to enhance patients’ disease awareness. Gaoji Medical offers physicians a more efficient out-of-hospital patient management platform, while providing users and patients with precise internet-based medical services, pharmaceutical care, patient education, early screening, rehabilitation, nutritional support, psychological counseling, and other health management services, as well as innovative payment solutions, thereby delivering comprehensive out-of-hospital full-process management services.

The core product portfolio of DTP (Direct-to-Patient) pharmacies consists of innovative and specialized drugs targeting conditions such as cancer and autoimmune diseases, as well as medications for chronic disease patients requiring long-term therapy. The true value of the DTP model lies in its professional pharmaceutical care services, cold-chain logistics, and refined patient management capabilities. Data from Menet shows that in 2020, there were 495 products with annual sales exceeding RMB 100 million at brick-and-mortar pharmacy terminals in China, among which 42 were anti-tumor drugs. In 2021, chemical drugs (including biologics) accounted for 50.6% of the product mix in Chinese brick-and-mortar pharmacies, with an increasing number of high-value oncology and specialized drugs being sold through out-of-hospital channels such as DTP pharmacies.

Gaoji Medical’s online and offline professional service capabilities through its DTP (Direct-to-Patient) pharmacies enable enhanced services for patients requiring specialty medications. Publicly available information indicates that Gaoji Medical has established over 100 specialized DTP pharmacies, integrating high-quality medical resources across various regions to accelerate the penetration of innovative drugs into lower-tier markets. By categorizing its network, Gaoji Medical has developed DTP flagship pharmacies affiliated with top-tier tertiary hospitals and specialized hospitals; specialized DTP pharmacies serving key tertiary or specialized hospitals; and broad-spectrum DTP pharmacies covering key hospitals in county-level areas and other lower-tier markets. This tiered approach better fulfills the whole-course disease management needs of patients, ranging from first-tier cities such as Beijing, Shanghai, and Guangzhou, to provincial capitals, second- and third-tier cities, and down to county-level markets.

The five years of the China International Import Expo (CIIE) have also witnessed the rapid iteration, upgrading, and transformation of China’s pharmaceutical industry. China’s position as the world’s second-largest pharmaceutical market has been progressively consolidated. Supported by national industrial policies and healthcare system reforms, R&D investment in new drugs has continued to increase, the pace of incorporating innovative drugs into the National Reimbursement Drug List has accelerated, and cancer treatment has entered a phase characterized by chronic disease management. A new ecosystem for the pharmaceutical and health industry, with innovation at its core, is gradually taking shape.

As one of the entry points to primary healthcare services in China, Gaoji Medical connects users, R&D entities, pharmaceutical companies, hospitals, physicians, and other healthcare institutions and professionals. By working closely with global leading biopharmaceutical companies such as AstraZeneca, and fostering collaboration between pharmaceutical manufacturers and distribution service platforms, Gaoji Medical bridges the “last mile” of out-of-hospital management. This enables faster and more effective support for standardized medication adherence throughout the entire patient journey, providing patients with access to superior innovative drug therapies and out-of-hospital management services. It also facilitates the practical implementation of innovative achievements in precision oncology diagnosis and treatment, safeguarding public health and building a “moat of life” in the post-pandemic era.