Pioneering Digital Therapeutics in China: 'Exploring Health Future' Inaugural China Digital Therapeutics Innovation Summit Concludes Successfully
With the continuous deepening of China’s healthcare reforms and the gradual implementation of the Healthy China 2030 initiative, various efforts to improve medical services—such as the national tiered diagnosis and treatment system and the differentiated management of acute and chronic conditions—are being steadily advanced. Meanwhile, the integrated development and practical application of digital technologies, including 5G, big data, and artificial intelligence, with medical technologies are driving a new wave of transformation in healthcare scenarios. As a novel therapeutic approach, digital therapeutics offer the advantages of remote, portable, and personalized interventions, opening up new horizons for the industry. On October 27,2021 “Exploring the Future of Health” The 1st China Digital Therapeutics Innovation Summit & The Finals of The 1st Post-Diagnosis Disease Management and Digital Therapeutics Innovation and Entrepreneurship CompetitionHeld in Hangzhou with great fanfare, the event brought together more than 300 professionals and entrepreneurs from clinical, industry, and investment institutions focused on the field of digital therapeutics, filling the venue to capacity.
This summit is organized byJianhai Technology, Probe CapitalCo-initiated and jointly hosted by 16 leading pharmaceutical and medical device companies and investment institutions, this initiative focuses on the emerging field of digital therapeutics. It brings together stakeholders from government, industry, investment, enterprise, and clinical sectors to build a platform for communication and exchange in the digital therapeutics domain through a closed-door meeting, an innovation summit, and a grand final competition, jointly discussing hot topics in the development of digital therapeutics. This is China’s first summit and innovation & entrepreneurship competition dedicated specifically to the digital therapeutics sector, serving as a concentrated showcase and convergence of cutting-edge digital therapeutics concepts and innovative medical practices.
At the conference, Mr. Guo Qing, Chairman of the Health Management Branch of the Chinese Medical Association and Director of the Institute of Health Management at Zhejiang Chinese Medical University, pointed out in his speech that the 5G-enabled “Three Early” full-cycle health management system will facilitate the transition from a disease-centered medical care model to a health-centered health management system, thereby achieving the goals of “promoting health, preventing major diseases, and managing chronic conditions.”
Guo Qing, Chairman of the Health Management Branch of the Chinese Medical Association and Director of the Institute of Health Management at Zhejiang Chinese Medical University
In his keynote address titled “Trends and Challenges in Cross-Disciplinary Technological Integration Driving Transformation in Healthcare Settings,” Mr. Dong Bo, Director of the Center for AI Social Experiment Research at Zhejiang Lab, emphasized five key keywords for digital reform: integration, comprehensiveness, institutional reshaping, digital empowerment, and modernization.
Director, Center for AI Social Experiment Research, Zhijiang Lab Dong Bo
Mr. Wang Xiao from iFlytek Healthcare provided a detailed explanation from the perspective of artificial intelligence empowering modern medicine, stating that iFlytek Healthcare is committed to leveraging AI to serve the Healthy China initiative.
iFlytek Healthcare, Huang Xiao
Mr. Ma Ke, Managing Director of CBC Group (Kangqiao Capital), interpreted the capitalization path of digital therapeutics companies from a capital perspective, and pointed out that the core of digital health is evidence-based medicine + cost reduction and efficiency improvement.
CBC Group Managing Director Marco
Mr. Peng Yifei, Vice President of Tigermed and General Manager of Tigermed Jietong, outlined China’s practices in the commercialization of digital health products from the perspectives of regulation, registration, clinical evaluation, and clinical trials.
Peng Yifei, Vice President of Tigermed and General Manager of Tigermed Jietong
In his keynote address, Yan Jingjing, Founding Partner at Probes Capital, pointed out that digital therapeutics (DTx) are currently in an early stage of innovation. Based on existing market products, DTx do not impose particularly high demands on the underlying technology. Extensive media coverage and hype have drawn a large number of companies into this sector. Meanwhile, as challenges related to technological barriers, commercial implementation, and market competition have emerged, the field is gradually returning to rationality and maturing.
Yan Jingjing, Founding Partner of Probe Capital
How Do Pioneering Companies in Digital Therapeutics View the Trends and Future of the Field? During the roundtable session, five digital therapeutics pioneers—Cadney Medical, Zheng’an Health, Zhilan Health, Xinjing Technology, and Yongliu—shared their frontline explorations and practical applications of digital therapeutics within their respective domains from the perspective of industry practitioners. Meanwhile, five major pharmaceutical and medical device giants—AstraZeneca, Philips, Sanofi, Takeda China, and Tigermed—offered their insights on digital therapeutics and outlined their strategic layouts from an industrial perspective. The exchange and interaction between enterprise practitioners and industry leaders painted a comprehensive picture of the current landscape of digital therapeutics.
Corporate Leaders’ Roundtable
Industry Leaders' Roundtable
To further propel industry development, the China Digital Therapeutics and Post-Diagnosis Disease Management Innovation Alliance was established at the summit. Initiated by the Chinese Medical Innovation Alliance and Health界 (Healthjie), and co-founded by Jianhai Technology, Tanzi Capital, Kangwei Medical Innovation, and Shengshi Consulting, the alliance aims to build a platform supported by data and guided by research. It brings together clinical physicians, industry enterprises, universities, investment institutions, and other stakeholders to gradually establish industry standards and evaluation methods for digital therapeutics, jointly explore innovative directions, promote bidirectional pathways for product validation, achieve consensus on industry development, and accelerate innovative growth in the sector.
Establishment of the China Digital Therapeutics and Post-Consultation Disease Management Innovation Alliance
As an industry organization, the China Digital Therapeutics and Post-Discharge Disease Management Innovation Alliance will provide startups with greater support across resources, industry development, and clinical practice. To offer more direct assistance to entrepreneurs, Jianhai Technology and Probe Capital have jointly established the Tanjian New Healthcare Fund, which focuses primarily on innovative and forward-looking startup projects.
Tanjian New Medical Fund Signing Ceremony
At the conference, Wang Jian, Founder and CEO of Jianhai Technology, emphasized that the company is positioned as a post-diagnosis disease management service provider. Leveraging the Jianhai Technology ecosystem, it will offer three shared services to digital therapeutics companies: shared hospital admission and data interoperability, an integrated online-offline service system, and high-adherence content coupled with operational support.
Wang Jian, Founder and CEO of Jianhai Technology
As a key component of the summit, the finals of the inaugural Innovation and Entrepreneurship Competition for Post-diagnosis Disease Management and Digital Therapeutics were grandly held. Focusing on projects that utilize digital means for post-diagnosis disease management and intervention or are related to digital therapeutics, this is the first national competition dedicated specifically to the vertical field of digital therapeutics in China. Since the call for entries was launched in June, it has attracted nearly 100 pioneering enterprises in the digital therapeutics sector across China to register. These projects covered areas such as chronic disease management, oncology, stroke, mental health, weight management, and pain relief. After rigorous rounds of competition, 20 companies were shortlisted for the final round.
At the event, shortlisted projects underwent final review by a judging panel composed of pharmaceutical and medical device groups as well as investment institutions, including AstraZeneca, Philips, Sanofi, Takeda China, Haibang Fenghua, Heyu Capital, Sida Capital, Sherpa Capital, Sanzheng Health, Lenovo Capital, Yuanyi Capital, and Yidu Tech. Ultimately, 11 digital therapeutics innovators stood out: Mindray Health (Haixin Zhihui), Furen Shufan, Xuzhishi Technology, Lingtong Technology, Dawei Medical, Xinyun Medical, Dongyou, Lianda Health, Aomei Intelligence, Zeta Planet, and Shentai Network. Among them, Mindray Health (Haixin Zhihui) claimed the top prize.
As an emerging industry, digital therapeutics holds immense potential. As Yan Jingjing, Founding Partner of Probes Capital, stated, “Although digital therapeutics is still in its early stages and faces numerous challenges, it can effectively integrate the healthcare value chain, deeply empowering both upstream and downstream sectors, and thus possesses significant potential.” Meanwhile, advanced technologies such as artificial intelligence, the Internet of Things, and big data are rapidly permeating the healthcare sector, reshaping modern medical diagnosis and treatment practices. With the convergence of technology, policy support, and resources, digital therapeutics may be poised for a new wave of rapid growth.
VB100·2021 China Digital Therapeutics Conferenceis China's digital therapeuticsLargest industry scale, most up-to-date information, greatest number of high-quality enterprises, representing the highest level of development in China’s digital therapeutics industryannual flagship event. As the bellwether for collaboration, innovation, clinical application, and capital trends in China’s digital therapeutics sector, it will be hosted by1Digital Therapeutics High-End Summit +2Sub-sector Forums +1Global Roadshow +2, comprising a closed-door seminar series that connects with top-tier guests.60People, GatheringTotal Exceeding200HomeHigh-Quality Enterprises. ConferencebyVCBeat, VB100, VCBeatHosted by,Probe Capital, Jianhai TechnologySupported, scheduled to be held in Binjiang District, Hangzhou on December 7–8, 2021.