Qiyi Medical and AstraZeneca Launch 'PLAN 100' Collaboration to Establish a Joint Talent Development Model for Chronic Respiratory Diseases

On November 5, 2021, the opening day of the China International Import Expo (CIIE), Qiyi Medical and AstraZeneca jointly signed a talent exchange and cooperation agreement. Leveraging their respective strengths in the field of respiratory diseases, both parties will collaboratively build a talent exchange and cooperation platform for the broader health ecosystem, thereby promoting innovative development in the big health industry.

Signing Ceremony: Ms. Song Siyi, CEO of Qiyi Medical (first from left), and AstraZeneca Representative

As one of the first companies to join AstraZeneca’s iCampus, Qiyi Medical has established in-depth collaborations with AstraZeneca in fields such as respiratory health and oncology, jointly advancing the development of disease and health management. This signing marks another strategic partnership between the two parties, pioneering a new model for joint talent development and fostering “mutual empowerment” in talent growth between the two companies. Through deep exchanges and collaboration in talent development, as well as leveraging their respective expertise in the medical field, both companies aim to further empower industry development and benefit more patients.

Against the backdrop of China’s “Healthy China” national strategy and the normalization of epidemic prevention and control, China’s health industry is witnessing unprecedented opportunities for development and transformation. On the demand side, a shortage of talent—particularly high-end professionals—has been frequently highlighted by industry innovators.

Amid the digital wave, technologies such as the internet, big data, cloud computing, 5G, and artificial intelligence are accelerating their integration with healthcare, giving rise to interdisciplinary fields like pharmaceutical-medical device convergence and medical big data, as well as corresponding specialized roles. These positions require not only healthcare professionals but also multidisciplinary talents with a medical background, imposing higher demands on their mastery of domain-specific professional knowledge.

In alignment with national policy directives, AstraZeneca has upgraded its long-standing internal talent development program, PLAN100, into an ecosystem-wide initiative, encouraging employees to “step out” and facilitate cross-company talent exchange. Qiyi Medical has become one of the first companies in AstraZeneca’s ecosystem to partner with the PLAN100 program.

It is understood that this collaboration followed six months of extensive communication, resulting in a comprehensive talent development framework covering initial candidate selection, mid-term training plans and assessment criteria, and long-term career development. Given that Qiyi Medical is currently at a critical stage of clinical trials, both parties have determined that the initial phase of their talent partnership will focus on the hybrid training and exchange of medical professionals.

Ms. Song Siyi, Founder and CEO of Qiyi Medical, shared that the company has currently initiated three clinical trials in areas including respiratory disease screening, early warning of acute exacerbations, and rehabilitation. Subsequent stages will extensively involve clinical trials and registration, statistical analysis, and safety evaluation, where AstraZeneca’s medical expertise can provide support in managing these processes.

This collaboration in medical talent will further strengthen Qiyi Medical’s competitive moat and leading position in the vertical sector of chronic respiratory diseases. It is understood that as product lines mature and market channel expansion and commercialization needs increase, the scope of talent exchanges between the two parties will gradually extend to areas such as sales and marketing and market access.

Qiyi Medical has become one of the first enterprises to expand the ecosystem under AstraZeneca’s PLAN100 initiative, a decision driven by the close collaboration between the two parties in their respiratory businesses.

Qiyi Medical focuses on the respiratory field. Although it has been established for less than two years, it has already developed two mature products and a clear business model, gradually building competitive barriers in the market.

Qiyi Medical’s Standardized Full-Course Management Platform for Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD) has been implemented in Zhumadian City, Henan Province, with over 5,000 registered physicians. Another mature product, the Pre-consultation Disease Assessment Kiosk, meets the needs of various scenarios and supports customized screening for multiple diseases. By conducting pre-consultation risk assessments, it effectively facilitates early diagnosis and screening of diseases. As of October 2021, the Risk Screening and Assessment Kiosks had been deployed in more than 1,600 hospitals across China.

Ms. Zhang Yan, Co-Founder and Marketing Director of Qiyi Medical, introduced the company’s product model and implementation cases at the China International Import Expo (CIIE).

Respiratory care is also a pillar business line for AstraZeneca. With strong leadership and R&D capabilities in respiratory therapeutics, AstraZeneca offers comprehensive diagnosis and treatment solutions for patients with respiratory diseases in China through its extensive product portfolio. Its blockbuster respiratory product, budesonide powder for inhalation, holds over 90% of the market share in China.

This strategic partnership not only meets the business development needs of both parties but also sets a benchmark for future talent development within AstraZeneca’s ecosystem.

Ms. Song Siyi stated that this collaboration with AstraZeneca in talent development holds multifaceted significance. Traditional pharmaceutical R&D and sales operations are increasingly constrained and challenged by policies, market dynamics, distribution channels, and other factors. Consequently, numerous healthcare enterprises are seeking new breakthroughs in areas such as digital therapeutics, integrated pharmaceutical and medical device solutions, and standardized diagnosis and treatment of diseases, all of which impose higher standards and requirements on talent.

Qiyi’s digital therapeutics under development are highly innovative and cutting-edge, while AstraZeneca boasts robust R&D capabilities and exceptional medical talent. By leveraging their respective strengths, the two parties can provide employees with richer scientific research platform resources and broader development opportunities, foster the rapid and diversified growth of professional skills, and maximize value creation.

An examination of Qiyi Medical and AstraZeneca reveals that their shared commitment to scientific innovation is a key driver of their close collaboration. This talent partnership will enable both parties to further strengthen their strategic presence in the respiratory field. Leveraging its extensive expertise in medicine, AstraZeneca will collaborate with Qiyi to explore and develop digital therapeutic products and projects. Meanwhile, Qiyi, currently in a phase of rapid growth, will help enhance AstraZeneca’s healthcare innovation ecosystem.

In mid-2021, Qiyi Medical joined the Digital Therapeutics Alliance (hereinafter referred to as "DTA"). As the world’s first professional association in the digital health sector, DTA is renowned for its rigorous membership review process. It drives academic research, establishes regulatory and evaluation standards for digital therapeutics, and provides expert consensus and industry development guidelines for clinical treatments and adjunctive therapies worldwide.

Notably, Qiyi Medical, founded in April 2020, is also the youngest Chinese member in the history of DTA.

In addition to COPD and asthma, Qiyi Medical is also actively expanding its solutions for other respiratory diseases, such as lung cancer. Moving forward, Qiyi Medical will conduct in-depth research on big data in respiratory diseases, integrate it with disease diagnosis and treatment workflows, and support its digital health products under development. In collaboration with AstraZeneca, the company will provide customized technical platform construction services to hospitals or government institutions with research needs, facilitating scientific data analysis and the translation of research achievements.