On October 7, Tencent and the UK-based mobile health company Medopad, together with Professor Ray Chaudhuri, a world-leading expert in Parkinson’s disease, held a press conference in Hong Kong to sign a strategic cooperation agreement and a memorandum of understanding for collaborative research. The three parties will engage in in-depth collaboration in the clinical and applied fields of Parkinson’s disease, jointly launching the co-development of AI-assisted diagnostic technologies for Parkinson’s. This initiative aims to deploy AI-driven motor function assessment tools—based on established clinical evaluation standards for Parkinson’s disease—in mobile and home settings, enabling rapid, intelligent motor function assessments via smartphones.

Previously,Tencent previously partnered with WebMD, a globally leading and authoritative medical and health information platform, to provide Chinese citizens with professional, easy-to-understand, practical, and trustworthy medical knowledge through WebMD’s exclusively licensed professional medical information and health education content.

Tencent has been making frequent moves in the healthcare industry, venturing into drug R&D, internet healthcare, medical science popularization, health management, and other fields. What exactly is its objective?

During the growth journey of startups, two extreme phenomena often emerge: some companies struggle for years only to secure meager funding, while others become capital magnets, surrounded by investors and rapidly closing multiple rounds of large-scale financing within just a few years, swiftly rising to become industry unicorns. VCBeat is now launching its “Super Unicorns” special feature, compiling a list of companies that achieved unicorn status within three years of establishment based on the VCBeat knowledge base, and carefully selecting six enterprises for case studies.

With the widespread application of speech technology in the healthcare sector, it has provided new solutions for medical data entry.

VCBeat has compiled a list of industry giants and startups offering relevant services, analyzing how they leverage voice technology to address the pain points of electronic medical record documentation.

Through conversations with industry insiders, VCBeat has found that stakeholders are making various projections about the vast market created by the outflow of prescriptions, while actively securing positions and strategic footholds. Based on extensive surveys and research, VCBeat intends to conduct an analysis across five dimensions, including prescription acquisition, drug supply assurance capabilities, and medical insurance support.

Based on a survey of physicians’ usage of mobile health (mHealth) applications, this report provides an in-depth analysis of the value and future development trends of physician-facing mHealth apps. Drawing on extensive interviews and analytical data from the survey, we have compiled this industry research report on physician-oriented mobile applications and identified several key insights.

Applications Are Now Open for the Third Cohort of the “New Healthcare Revolution – Founder Evolution Camp” by the Future Healthcare Academy. We are seeking China’s most creative, strategic, curious, and ambitious entrepreneurs to join us as fellow travelers on the path to becoming exceptional founders. For more details, please scan the QR code below.

Benefits for the Hearing-Impaired: BOSE’s First Over-the-Counter Hearing Aid Receives FDA Approval

Recently, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved the first over-the-counter hearing aid developed by speaker manufacturer Bose. As one of the largest speaker manufacturers in the United States, Bose has also demonstrated outstanding performance in the automotive audio and aerospace technology sectors. This approval for medical use may demonstrate to other consumer electronics companies the potential for entering the healthcare market.

First Business License Issued to a Drug R&D Enterprise as Marketing Authorization Holder, Signaling Full-Scale Rollout of the MAH System

On October 9, Shanghai Ambio Pharmaceutical Technology Co., Ltd. received Shanghai’s first business license for a drug R&D enterprise serving as a Marketing Authorization Holder (MAH). The updated business scope allows Ambio to independently market and sell its owned pharmaceutical products, meaning that products developed by institutions lacking drug production and distribution qualifications finally have a viable commercial pathway.

Puli Pharmaceutical's Azithromycin for Injection Approved for Marketing in the U.S.

On October 10, Hainan Poly Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd. announced that it had recently received formal approval from the U.S. FDA for the marketing of its Azithromycin for Injection ANDA.

Over 100 pharmaceutical industry professionals have net worths exceeding RMB 2 billion

On October 10, the Hurun Research Institute released the “2018 Hurun Rich List.” According to statistics compiled by YYC (Yiyao Difangtai), a total of 174 individuals (or families) from the pharmaceutical, biopharmaceutical, pharmaceutical manufacturing, vaccine, genetic testing, medical services, medical equipment, pharmaceutical distribution, medical devices, pharmaceutical retail, and pharmaceutical wholesale sectors made the list this year.

Targeting Inflammatory Cytokines: Janssen’s New Drug Shows Strong Phase 3 Results

On October 10, Janssen Pharmaceutical, a subsidiary of Johnson & Johnson, announced positive results from the Phase 3 UNIFI trial evaluating Stelara (ustekinumab), its innovative therapy for inflammatory diseases, in adult patients with moderate-to-severe ulcerative colitis (UC). A single injection enabled some UC patients to achieve clinical remission. These patients had previously exhibited an inadequate response to or intolerance of conventional therapies or biologics.

Tencent and Medopad Forge Strategic Partnership to Launch International Joint R&D on AI-Assisted Diagnosis for Parkinson’s Disease

On October 7, Tencent and the UK-based mobile health company Medopad, together with Professor Ray Chaudhuri, a world-leading expert in Parkinson’s disease, held a press conference in Hong Kong to sign a strategic cooperation agreement and a memorandum of understanding for collaborative research. The three parties will engage in in-depth collaboration in the clinical and applied fields of Parkinson’s disease, jointly launching the R&D of AI-assisted diagnostic technologies for Parkinson’s. This initiative aims to deploy AI-based motor function assessment tools—aligned with established clinical evaluation standards for Parkinson’s disease—in mobile and home settings, enabling rapid, intelligent motor function assessments via smartphones.

700 Million! CR Sanjiu to Sell This Hospital

On October 8, China Resources Sanjiu Medical & Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd. released the “Announcement on the Listed Transfer of Equity in Shenzhen Sanjiu Hospital Co., Ltd.,” proposing to publicly list for transfer its 82.89% equity stake in Sanjiu Hospital. Meanwhile, China Resources Pharmaceutical Investment Co., Ltd. will also list for transfer its 17.11% equity stake in Sanjiu Hospital, thereby transferring 100% of the equity in Sanjiu Hospital, with a proposed price of RMB 719.345 million.

Pilot Program for Direct Settlement of Outpatient Medical Expenses for Cross-Regional Healthcare in the Yangtze River Delta Region Launched

On October 8, the pilot program for direct settlement of outpatient medical expenses incurred across administrative regions within the Yangtze River Delta was launched, with Shanghai, Jiangsu Province, Zhejiang Province, and Anhui Province signing a cooperation agreement in Shanghai. Following collaborative consultations, eight pooling areas—including Nantong City in Jiangsu Province, Jiaxing City in Zhejiang Province, and Chuzhou City in Anhui Province—along with Shanghai, were designated as the first batch of pilot sites for this initiative. Insured individuals from Shanghai who reside or work long-term outside the city can settle their outpatient medical costs directly via health insurance card at participating pilot hospitals in these regions, in accordance with relevant regulations.

RMB 10.963 Billion! Full Disbursement of Subsidies for Comprehensive Reform of Public Hospitals in 2018

To further support medical and healthcare institutions in enhancing their service standards and capabilities, the central government has fully disbursed a total of RMB 10.963 billion in subsidy funds for the comprehensive reform of public hospitals in 2018. This amount includes RMB 5.298 billion newly allocated, plus RMB 4.705 billion advanced in 2017, RMB 62 million for the Xinjiang Production and Construction Corps, and RMB 898 million designated to support hospitals under the administration of the National Health Commission and the National Administration of Traditional Chinese Medicine in participating in local comprehensive public hospital reforms.

This week, there were seven financing events in China's healthcare sector.

Changling Capital, Jiang Xiaodong

In the current environment, we advise startups to prioritize improving their cash flow from a financial perspective. Those capable of securing financing quickly should do so without delay to lock in funds and ensure stability. From an operational standpoint, companies should return to their core mission and original intent, reflecting on whom they serve and how they address problems. “Customers are the true mentors. The daily focus should be on solving customer problems and enhancing service quality. … Do not shy away from challenges; even the toughest issues must be tackled. The ultimate goal is to deliver real solutions and tangible value to customers.” (Source: VCBeat)

On October 9, biopharmaceutical company Parexel announced the launch of a suite of new products on its cloud platform, designed to support drug development and clinical research through mobile and wearable technologies.

One new technology, leveraging Microsoft’s Azure App Service, can send alerts to healthcare teams and clinicians when patient safety is compromised, thereby reducing patient risk and mortality. In addition, Parexel has expanded several of its technology platforms. For example, the company’s patient sensors can now connect to a broader range of medical devices, including DataLabs and ClinPhone.

Source: https://www.mobihealthnews.com

Recently, Mira, a tech startup founded three years ago, launched a fertility testing device designed to help women assess their fertility and ovarian reserve. The device is a compact analyzer that reads data within one minute, displaying a simple high, medium, or low fertility rating, while transmitting more detailed results to a connected app. The product has received FDA clearance and CE Mark certification and is set to hit the market at a price of $199. Going forward, Mira plans to introduce additional home-use medical testing devices, including those for thyroid function and weight management.

https://www.mobihealthnews.com

Recently, Deloitte’s Hong Kong Insurance team provided insights into digitalization and market reforms in the insurance and financial services sector through a series of new reports. The report “Keys to Success: The Right Strategy and the Right Partners – Winning in China’s Health Insurance Industry” highlights the challenges and opportunities within China’s healthcare ecosystem, a market constrained by high regulatory barriers and dominated by large local insurers.

Based on a survey of physicians’ usage of mobile health applications, this report provides an in-depth analysis of the application value and future development trends of physician-facing mobile health apps. Drawing on extensive interviews and analytical insights from the survey, we have compiled this industry research report on physician-oriented mobile applications.