Shihua Medicine Ushers in a New Era of AI-Driven Precision Oncology with Multi-Omics Intelligent Diagnostics
Cancer has become one of the major public health issues threatening global human health. According to the latest 2020 global cancer burden data released by the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) of the World Health Organization, there were 19.29 million new cancer cases and 9.96 million cancer deaths worldwide in 2020. Among these, China accounted for 49.3% of global new cancer cases and 58.3% of global cancer deaths. The "Cancer Statistics Report 2020" published by the American Cancer Society (ACS) shows that the overall five-year survival rate for all cancers in the United States from 2009 to 2015 was 67%, which is significantly higher than the 40.5% in China. There remains a substantial gap waiting to be filled in areas such as cancer diagnosis, treatment, drug development, and health management.
Artificial Intelligence (AI) can facilitate the collection of vast amounts of medical data, perform rapid computations, reduce redundant tasks, and provide more precise diagnostic and treatment plans. It helps narrow the gap between hospitals at different levels, promotes the decentralization of high-quality medical services and resources, and supports tiered diagnosis and treatment systems. Additionally, AI can help reduce the cost and time required for drug development by approximately one-third. While China has largely completed the digitization of pharmaceutical information, core medical functions—including diagnosis, treatment, and drug development—remain in their early stages due to the high professional thresholds requiring expertise in both medicine and artificial intelligence.
Shihua Medicine has developed internationally leading multi-gene, multi-factor, and multi-omics technologies to address the intelligent challenges in medical diagnosis, treatment, and drug development. Dr. Xing Chuanhua, founder of Shihua Medicine, stated, “The onset and progression of diseases result from the interactions among multiple genes and pathogenic factors. However, current sequencing interpretation remains limited to one-to-one matching between single genes and database information. Genetic testing fails to elucidate the relationship between diseases and genes; clinically applied single genes account for less than 10% of all disease-causing genes, and most genes associated with complex diseases have not yet been utilized in clinical practice.” Nevertheless, relying solely on manual efforts is far insufficient to clarify the relationships between diseases and various genetic loci. Therefore, leveraging internationally leading AI technologies and disruptive algorithms, Shihua Medicine integrates multi-source information—including microbiota, imaging, cellular data, methylation, and immune biomarkers—to develop products such as intelligent genetic diagnosis, clinical decision support, and AI-assisted drug discovery. These innovations enable earlier, more precise, higher-efficiency, and lower-cost cancer diagnosis, facilitating precision diagnosis and treatment for individuals at high risk of cancer, identifying suitable targeted therapies and optimal treatment plans for patients, and pioneering a new generation of pathways for cancer diagnosis, treatment, and clinical decision-making.
In 2001, Dr. Chuanhua Xing went to the United States for his graduate studies, studying under Professor Donald Bitzer, a titan in machine learning algorithms and a member of the U.S. National Academy of Engineering. “At that time, Dr. Craig Venter had just completed the first full human genome sequencing using his own genes. My fascination with deciphering human genes and diseases led me to choose this then-niche field as my doctoral research focus: leveraging machine learning algorithms to deeply mine genomics and clinical data.” Holding a Ph.D. from North Carolina State University and completing his postdoctoral fellowship at Duke University, Dr. Xing has served as an Assistant Professor at Boston University, a Visiting Professor at Sun Yat-sen University, Head of R&D at AstraZeneca, and President (2019–2020) of the Chinese Biopharmaceutical Association (www.cba-usa.org). He has collaborated with multiple recipients of the COPSS Presidents’ Award, the highest honor in statistical machine learning. As one of the technical leads for major U.S. precision medicine and genomics initiatives, he contributed to projects including AstraZeneca’s PD-1/PD-L1 immunotherapy Imfinzi for non-small cell lung cancer, The Framingham Heart Study, and the CHARGE Sequencing Project. Dr. Xing has been a featured speaker at numerous domestic and international industry conferences, given exclusive interviews, and received international accolades such as the IFAH 2021 Top 100 Healthcare Visionaries Award.
In 2015, leveraging years of profound expertise in the field of AI-driven cancer diagnosis and treatment, Dr. Xing Chuanhua founded XPrecision in the United States, where he completed the preliminary development and initial clinical validation of AI-based technologies for cancer diagnosis and therapy. Recently, Dr. Xing returned to China and established Shihua Medicine to advance the commercialization and further development of these AI-driven cancer diagnostic and therapeutic technologies.
Dr. Xing Chuanhua stated, “Although I have studied and worked in the United States for many years, I was born and raised in China and hold an inseparable affection for my homeland. In recent years, the environment for medical innovation and entrepreneurship in China has gradually improved, with policy support and capital increasingly favoring internationally original technologies, particularly AI. Therefore, I am highly motivated to return to China to launch a venture, promote the development of domestic AI-driven healthcare, and contribute my efforts to conquering cancer and safeguarding the health of people in China and around the world.”
Also involved in the early establishment of Shihua Medicine was Dr. Wang Yong, an international expert in intelligence and automation, who serves as its Chief Technology Officer (CTO). Dr. Wang was a doctoral classmate of Dr. Xing Chuanhua and graduated with top honors, achieving a perfect GPA in machine learning algorithms and big data optimization. He has worked at a leading global commercial data software company, specializing in developing big data solutions for Fortune 100 enterprises, and brings twenty years of experience in commercial big data system architecture and software development. His involvement ensures that Shihua Medicine’s intelligent and automated development remains at the forefront internationally.
Dr. Tian Ge Cui is the Chief Scientist at Shihua Medicine, where he oversees the research and development of bioinformatics technologies and product development. Three years ago, Dr. Cui engaged in multiple discussions with Dr. Xing on the topic of intelligent cancer diagnosis and treatment. Upon learning of the establishment of Shihua Medicine, Dr. Cui decisively joined the company to advance the development of intelligent cancer diagnostic and therapeutic technologies.Dr. Cui earned his degree in Bioinformatics and Computational Biology from George Mason University in the United States. He has previously held positions at several renowned biopharmaceutical companies, including Regeneron Pharmaceuticals, Vertex Pharmaceuticals, and Sangamo Therapeutics, a U.S.-based gene editing company. Additionally, while at the startup Cofactor Genomics, he participated in the development of the first companion diagnostic kit for immunosuppressive drugs. Dr. Cui possesses extensive R&D experience in bioinformatics and translational medicine, particularly in high-throughput sequencing, cancer genomics, viral genomics, gene editing, and cell therapy, and has developed multiple bioinformatics software products.
It is understood that, compared with existing genetic testing solutions, the cancer AI diagnosis and treatment solution developed by Shihua Medical has broken the current status quo of one-to-one matching between single genes and database information. For the first time in the history of algorithm development, it has eliminated any assumptions of mutual independence or partial independence, preserving all data dependencies. This approach enables the simultaneous capture of the combined effects of high-dimensional genes/factors on diseases. By leveraging AI to integrate multi-gene, multi-factor, and multi-omics information—including genomics, microbiomics, imaging, immune biomarkers, methylation, and clinical data—the solution maximizes the detection of cancer signals, facilitating earlier and more accurate cancer diagnosis while reducing costs. It empowers various stages of cancer care, including early screening, late-stage treatment, and drug research and development.
In the field of early cancer screening, Shihua Medicine is developing early screening and diagnostic solutions for gynecological tumors, upper gastrointestinal cancers, and pan-cancer types. By leveraging AI-driven multi-gene, multi-factor models to detect cancer in patients, the company aims to reduce cancer incidence and mortality rates. In the diagnosis and treatment of advanced-stage cancer, Shihua Medicine’s technologies for gynecological tumors, upper gastrointestinal cancers, and pan-cancer types can recommend optimal treatment plans for patients, thereby reducing recurrence rates and improving survival rates, while also identifying new cancer targets for drug development.
Validation experiments demonstrate that Shihua Medical’s machine learning algorithms maintain consistently high accuracy across tests involving various complex datasets. Its AI-driven cancer diagnosis and treatment technology achieves an accuracy rate at least 20% higher than the most prevalent methods. Furthermore, for Stage I and Stage II cancers, the company’s early screening and diagnostic models outperform similar products by 10%–20%, significantly enhancing China’s capacity for early cancer detection. This advancement is projected to increase the five-year survival rate post-diagnosis from 30% to 70%, extending patient life expectancy by 5–10 years.Owing to its outstanding performance in the AI-enabled cancer care sector, Shihua Medical has rapidly established its core team shortly after its inception. The company has commenced construction of its Kilometer Laboratory in Suzhou Industrial Park and forged partnerships with Huayue Huaihai Medical Laboratory, Suzhou Panomics Biomedical Technology Co., Ltd., and Laipusheng Medical. Additionally, it has set up an R&D team in the United States and received recommendations for leading talent and major projects from Suzhou Industrial Park. Dr. Xing was recently honored with the International IFAH Top 100 Healthcare Visionaries Award in Las Vegas, USA.
Healthcare is considered one of the largest application areas for AI. Currently, AI has made significant strides in niche sectors such as surgical robots, intelligent medical devices, and medical imaging recognition. AI-driven drug discovery has also shown rapid growth in recent years; however, both technological and market development remain in their early stages. As an emerging field, intelligent omics has begun to transition from the research frontier to industrial and clinical applications. By leveraging advanced AI algorithms to deeply mine omics data—including genomics, transcriptomics, proteomics, and metabolomics—this field is developing products and applications for diagnosis, treatment, and drug discovery. After two decades of rapid development, intelligent omics technology demonstrates strong market demand and broad prospects, exhibiting exponential growth in both gene mining and healthcare intelligence. According to the 2019 industry survey “VCBeat Healthcare Industry Data Series | Market Analysis of Clinical Applications of Genetic Testing (Part II),” the penetration rate of the genetic testing market is projected to reach 30–40% by 2025, more than 30 times the current level. “In the future, companies that can address industry pain points, master core technologies, and promote industry standardization will emerge as leaders in the next phase of industry development,” stated Dr. Xing.
By leveraging multi-gene technologies to advance a systems medicine approach integrating multi-gene, multi-factor, and multi-omics analyses, Shihua Medicine has carved out a unique position in the field and spurred new market growth opportunities. Dr. Xing Chuanhua believes that, overall, the potential market size for the AI-driven cancer diagnosis and treatment sector in which Shihua Medicine operates is at the hundred-billion-yuan level, making it worthy of in-depth cultivation. She remarked, “I have been exploring the field of AI-assisted diagnosis and treatment for over two decades. Although we have not yet seen the end of the road to conquering cancer, AI can maximize the potential of cancer diagnosis and treatment and will make significant contributions to addressing this challenge.”
In recent years, major sequencing companies and investors in the industry have been focusing on AI genomics, leading to a rapid increase in domestic and international projects primarily centered on omics. In February this year, sequencing giant Illumina partnered with Sequoia Capital to launch the China Intelligent Medical Genomics Incubator in Shanghai. AI genomics has remained a hot topic of discussion at various forums and conferences. AI will continue to optimize the accuracy, cost, and efficiency of early cancer screening, diagnosis and treatment, and drug development. AI genomics is undoubtedly poised to become a rapidly emerging and highly competitive sector.
As an early pioneer in AI-driven cancer diagnosis and treatment technologies, Dr. Xing Chuanhua will lead Shihua Medicine to swiftly complete the clinical regulatory filings for its early screening and diagnostic products for gynecologic tumors and upper gastrointestinal cancers, thereby launching Laboratory Developed Tests (LDT) services. Meanwhile, the company’s intelligent and automated AI software system for diagnostics is set to launch soon, enabling full-process automation of genetic testing. In the years ahead, Shihua Medicine will collaborate with the industry to advance the development of AI-driven cancer diagnosis and treatment in China and globally, addressing critical challenges in the diagnosis and treatment of major diseases that threaten human health.