JD Health and Nuohui Health Forge Strategic Partnership to Advance 'Internet + Cancer Early Screening' Innovation

On April 21, JD Health (6618.HK) and New Horizon Health (6606.HK) signed a strategic cooperation agreement. The two parties will focus on the field of early cancer screening, deeply integrate their respective advantageous resources, and jointly build innovative “Internet + Early Cancer Screening” healthcare services. Xin Lijun, Senior Vice President of JD Group and CEO of JD Health, Zhu Yeqing, Executive Director and CEO of New Horizon Health, and other core executives from both sides were in attendance.

(Scene of the Strategic Signing Ceremony between JD Health and New Horizon Health. From left to right: Sun Haijian, Head of Consumer Healthcare, Physical Examination, and Genetics at JD Health; Zhao Xuming, General Manager of the Chronic Disease Project Department at JD Health; Zhang Zhenlong, General Manager of the Medical Insurance and Healthcare Development Department at JD Health; Xiao Jianbo, General Manager of the Internet Healthcare Department at JD Health; Wang Yufang, General Manager of the Consumer Healthcare Department at JD Health; Xin Lijun, Senior Vice President of JD Group and CEO of JD Health; Zhu Yeqing, Executive Director and CEO of New Horizon Health; Li Yan, Vice President of Sales at New Horizon Health; Zhou Haiying, Senior Director of Brand and Marketing at New Horizon Health; Liu Gang, R&D Director at New Horizon Health; Jin Chunbo, Head of National DTC Channels at New Horizon Health; Kang Yue, Head of Technical Support Team at New Horizon Health)

In recent years, colorectal cancer has become the second leading cause of cancer-related deaths worldwide and is the fastest-growing malignancy among high-incidence cancers in China. According to the latest Globocan 2020 database from the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC), there were 19.29 million new cancer cases and 9.96 million cancer deaths globally in 2020. In China, there are approximately 4.569 million new malignant tumor cases and about 3.003 million cancer-related deaths annually. Each year, approximately 555,000 new cases of colorectal cancer are diagnosed in China, with one person being diagnosed every minute on average and one person dying from colon cancer every two minutes. According to the "Survey on the Diagnosis and Treatment Status of Patients with Intermediate and Advanced Colorectal Cancer in China," more than 83% of patients are diagnosed at an intermediate or advanced stage, and 85% of patients lack knowledge about colon cancer screening. Therefore, experts unanimously recommend that "early screening, early diagnosis, and early treatment" are crucial for the prevention and control of colorectal cancer.

Under the strategic cooperation agreement, both parties will engage in comprehensive collaboration and innovative practices in key areas, including internet hospitals, chronic disease management, insurance services, consumer-facing cancer early screening education and awareness, and the upgrading of enterprise employee health management programs for business clients. Together, they will drive the innovation and implementation of digital and internet-based solutions for early cancer screening.

New Horizon Health’s colorectal cancer early screening product, Colotect®, and its related services will be deeply integrated with JD Health’s platform and user service system. Leveraging JD Health Internet Hospital as the online scenario, the two parties will engage in online consultations and prescription renewals, continuously expanding new marketing channels for Colotect® in the “Internet + Healthcare” sector. By fully utilizing JD’s technological advantages in artificial intelligence, big data, and the Internet of Things, and combining these with JD Health’s end-to-end services—including online consultations, prescription refills, and home delivery of medications—the partnership aims to establish an integrated online-offline closed-loop model for chronic disease management targeting high-risk populations for colorectal cancer, such as individuals with diabetes and obesity. This approach shifts the focus of health management upstream to the screening and prevention stages. Furthermore, the two parties will deepen patient services by enhancing cancer early screening awareness among individual consumers (C-end users) and developing employee health management programs for corporate clients (B-end), thereby upgrading intestinal screening and health management solutions for JD Group’s enterprise customers.

Xin Lijun, Senior Vice President of JD.com and CEO of JD Health, stated that with the rising health awareness among the general public, consumer demand for early cancer screening has been growing significantly in recent times. The collaboration with New Horizon Health marks a crucial step in JD Health’s efforts to strengthen its layout of early cancer screening services. Looking ahead, JD Health will continue to leverage its advantages in supply chain and medical healthcare service capabilities, join hands with more partners, and further explore areas such as early screening for critical illnesses and the proactive shift of health management interventions, so as to provide users with more convenient, safe, and high-quality health management services.

“From its inception, New Horizon Health has pioneered an ‘Internet Plus’ model for early cancer screening. The essence of the internet spirit lies in delivering ultimate convenience and fostering direct communication with users, which aligns with New Horizon Health’s unwavering commitment to a user-centric approach,” stated Zhu Yeqing, Executive Director and CEO of New Horizon Health. “We look forward to engaging in comprehensive and in-depth collaboration with JD Health, jointly dedicated to bringing the concept and services of early cancer screening to hundreds of millions of high-risk individuals across China, enabling more people to stay one step ahead of cancer and collectively transform life trajectories.”

ColoClear® employs a multi-target fecal FIT-DNA combined detection technology, designed and developed based on the genetic mutation characteristics of colorectal cancer in the Chinese population. It was meticulously crafted by New Horizon Health over a seven-year period with an investment of $100 million.

On November 9, 2020, the National Medical Products Administration (NMPA) approved the Class III innovative medical device registration application for New Horizon Health’s colorectal cancer early screening product, Colotect®. The approved intended use explicitly states that Colotect® is suitable for “screening individuals aged 40–74 years at high risk for colorectal cancer.” This marks the first and, to date, the only cancer early screening product registration certificate approved by the NMPA in China.^1-2

On January 15, 2021, Changweiqing® was included in China’s first national guideline commissioned and guided by the National Health Commission, which is based on evidence-based medicine for colorectal cancer screening, early diagnosis, and early treatment: the “Guidelines for Colorectal Cancer Screening and Early Diagnosis and Treatment in China (2020, Beijing).” The Guidelines explicitly recommend non-invasive multi-target stool FIT-DNA combined testing as one of the key methods for early colorectal cancer screening, and suggest a screening interval of once every three years for FIT-DNA testing.³

Colorectal Clear® is the first and only cancer early screening product in China validated by a large-scale, prospective, multi-center registration clinical trial. The “Clear-C” trial was launched in September 2018, lasted for 16 months, enrolled a total of 5,881 participants, and was jointly conducted by eight major tertiary hospitals across China, providing the highest level of scientific evidence for validating screening performance. According to the clinical trial results of Clear-C, Colorectal Clear® demonstrated a sensitivity of 95.5% for detecting colorectal cancer and a sensitivity of 63.5% for detecting advanced adenomas, which is more than twice that of traditional fecal occult blood tests, enabling effective identification of precancerous lesions. According to a Frost & Sullivan report, Colorectal Clear® is the only non-invasive molecular screening method with clinical significance for screening precancerous lesions; it achieves a negative predictive value of up to 99.6% for colorectal cancer, thereby minimizing the risk of missed diagnoses.^2-4

References:

1. National Medical Products Administration, KRAS Gene Mutation and BMP3/NDRG4 Gene Methylation Combined with Fecal Occult Blood Test Kit (PCR Fluorescent Probe Method-Colloidal Gold Method) Approved for Market [EB/OL].

2. Center for Medical Device Evaluation, National Medical Products Administration. Current Status of Colorectal Cancer Screening Products at Home and Abroad and Clinical Evaluation Requirements [EB/OL].

3. Expert Group for the Development of the Chinese Guidelines for Colorectal Cancer Screening and Early Diagnosis and Treatment, National Cancer Center. Chinese Guidelines for Colorectal Cancer Screening and Early Diagnosis and Treatment (2020, Beijing) [J]. Chinese Journal of Oncology, 2021, 43(01).

4. Center for Medical Device Evaluation, National Medical Products Administration. Technical Review Report on the Registration of the Combined Detection Kit for KRAS Gene Mutations and BMP3/NDRG4 Gene Methylation with Fecal Occult Blood (PCR Fluorescent Probe Method–Colloidal Gold Method) (CSZ2000050) [EB/OL]. https://www.cmde.org.cn/CL0116/21940.html

JD Health is a subsidiary group under JD.com, dedicated to healthcare and medical services. Guided by its strategic positioning as “a supply chain-centric, medically service-driven, digitally empowered health management platform covering users’ full life cycles and all scenarios,” JD Health has established a comprehensive “Internet + Healthcare” ecosystem. Its products and services span the entire industrial chain of pharmaceuticals and health goods, the full continuum of medical care, all health-related scenarios, and users’ entire life cycles.

JD Health is rooted in the well-being of the nation, fully integrating corporate resources and leveraging its core competencies. With a user- and patient-centric approach, it continuously drives innovative development in the healthcare sector, providing more accessible, convenient, high-quality, and affordable medical health products and services. By helping people enjoy a higher-quality, healthy life, JD Health is committed to becoming the “Chief Health Steward for All.”

New Horizon Health was established in 2015, focusing on at-home early screening for high-incidence cancers, and has emerged as a pioneer and leader in China’s cancer screening market. On February 18, 2021, New Horizon Health successfully listed on the Hong Kong Stock Exchange under the stock code 6606.HK, becoming the first publicly traded company specializing in early cancer screening in China. The company is committed to advancing innovation in cancer screening technologies and accelerating their adoption across China.

New Horizon Health’s two colorectal cancer screening products, Colotect® and PupuTube®, have received approval from the National Medical Products Administration (NMPA) and have been officially commercialized. Colotect® is the first and currently the only cancer screening product approved by the NMPA in China. In addition, the company has a pipeline of two investigational products for gastric cancer and cervical cancer screening. The company holds global intellectual property rights for all its marketed and pipeline products.