Xiyou Health and BMC Medical Forge Strategic Partnership to Advance China's Home Respiratory Health '3+' Initiative

Recently, Xiyou Health, a domestic new-retail startup in the pharmaceutical and healthcare sector, has entered into a strategic partnership with ResMed, a brand under BMC Medical (Beijing) Co., Ltd., a leader in products and services for non-invasive ventilators in China. Through their “3+” strategy—combining “professional brands + professional services + physical new-retail scenarios”—the two parties will jointly empower pharmacy terminals to develop home-based health management solutions for sleep-disordered breathing and chronic respiratory diseases in China.

Data shows that China’s ventilator industry has experienced rapid development in recent years, with the market size growing from RMB 5.58 billion in 2014 to RMB 11.61 billion in 2018, representing a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 20.1%. Since the outbreak of the epidemic this year, ventilators, as the “life-saving machines” for patients with novel coronavirus pneumonia (COVID-19), have seen an overnight surge in demand, leading to global supply shortages.

Some industry insiders believe that the pandemic brought ventilators into the spotlight, indirectly raising public awareness of respiratory health and non-invasive ventilators. In mature European and American markets, the ratio of non-invasive to invasive ventilators is approximately 10:1. Compared with invasive ventilation, non-invasive ventilation carries a lower risk of infection and sequelae and has broader application scenarios. Beyond use in hospital departments, home-based usage dominates. In China, however, the misconception that “ventilators are only used in hospitals” remains widespread, and the market is still dominated by invasive ventilators, with non-invasive models playing a secondary role.

Kang Kai, Founder and CEO of Xiyou Health, stated that the number of COPD patients in China has exceeded approximately 100 million. The prevalence of COPD among individuals aged 40 and above has increased by 67% over the past decade, with one in every eight people affected by the condition. Among those aged 60 and above, the ratio rises to one in four. COPD is now the third most common chronic disease in China, following hypertension and diabetes. Meanwhile, there are approximately 176 million mild cases of OSAS (Obstructive Sleep Apnea Syndrome) in China, with around 66 million cases classified as moderate or severe. In addition, the number of individuals with mild to moderate snoring is countless. However, “while the patient population is large, the market remains largely untapped,” Kang Kai lamented. “Xiyou Health has provided high-quality respiratory health services to numerous families, benefiting countless individuals, yet this represents only the tip of the iceberg compared to the vast, undeveloped market.”

Research institutions estimate that the current market size for non-invasive ventilators in China is only around 1–2 billion yuan, largely due to relatively low public awareness of respiratory health. In Europe and the United States, non-invasive ventilators are common household items, playing an effective role in managing chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), snoring, and obstructive sleep apnea syndrome (OSAS). They also help reduce the risk of multiple comorbidities, including hypertension, coronary heart disease, arrhythmia, cerebrovascular disease, and type 2 diabetes. Furthermore, some Western countries have included non-invasive ventilators in their medical insurance coverage, further driving robust market growth.

Xue Dongwei, General Manager of the Ventilator Division at BMC Medical, stated that in recent years, many respiratory specialists in China have called for greater attention to home-based respiratory health. It is evident that the emergence of the pandemic this year has led more people to prioritize the prevention of infectious diseases, reevaluate the importance of respiratory health and chronic disease management, and adopt enhanced immunity and improved suboptimal health as new benchmarks for their lifestyle.

In response, Kang Kai stated that since its establishment, Xiyou Health has partnered with numerous chain retail pharmacies. By leveraging new thinking, methodologies, and approaches, the company has built a new retail matrix for pharmaceuticals, driving rapid and substantial growth in the medical device category at partner pharmacies. Notably, respiratory health has become a key component of Xiyou Health’s single-disease management solutions, dedicated to providing users with personalized and professional respiratory health management services.

“As a leading domestic enterprise in non-invasive ventilators, BMC Medical’s corporate mission of ‘Bringing Care to Your Home’ aligns closely with Xiyou Health’s business philosophy of ‘Focusing on Home Healthcare Devices.’ This strategic partnership between two industry leaders will jointly launch the 2020 new strategy of ‘Professional Brand + Professional Services + Physical New Retail Scenarios.’ It will not only provide more users with high-quality products but also develop more professional respiratory health solutions tailored to the needs of Chinese consumers, delivering a ‘gold-standard experience’ to Chinese families. This collaboration is highly promising,” said Kang Kai.

Some experts believe that, with rising domestic awareness of respiratory health and the continuous improvement in non-invasive ventilator technology and service capabilities, China’s ventilator market is likely to experience a second major boom in the post-pandemic era.