Mega Genomics: Building China's Genetic Gateway for Precision Health Management and Medical Services

As is well known, Meinian Onehealth is a health industryAAs the first listed company in its sector, it wields significant influence across the entire health and wellness industry. Currently building a comprehensive health industry ecosystem, Meinian Onehealth has expanded beyond specialized medical services (Meiwei Dental and Minsheng ENT) to establish a presence in medical big data (Haozhuo Data), mobile healthcare (Daxiang Medical), and traditional Chinese medicine (Zhang Zhongyi). In the realm of precision prevention, Meinian Onehealth has recognized the potential of genetic testing, with its strategic investment in this area being Mei Yin Genomics.

In 2015, Xiao Zhe, who was engaged in the development and promotion of oncology genetics and personal genomics products, met Mr. Yu Rong, Chairman of Meinian Onehealth Healthcare. During their conversation, they discovered that they were both alumni of Peking University, which naturally led to more frequent communications thereafter. At that time, Meinian was strategically building an ecosystem for the health industry. Mr. Yu believed that genetic testing serves as the starting point for precision prevention, which in turn is the foundation of personal health management. Therefore, integrating genetic testing into existing health check-up offerings became an imperative move.

The two parties reached a consensus: acquiring both personal genetic data and physical examination data simultaneously would create substantial value for the entire Meinian Onehealth ecosystem. With a strategic layout and technical support in place, Xiao Zhe quickly leveraged his extensive industry network accumulated over many years to assemble a team comprising experts from prestigious institutions such as Peking University, the University of Oxford, and the Chinese Academy of Sciences, all of whom possessed rich professional and entrepreneurial experience. In January 2016, Mei Yin Genomics was officially established, with consumer-oriented genetic testing as its core business.

Because of Gene Xiao Zhe

Compared with conventional physical examinations, genetic testing offers numerous advantages. It enables risk prediction for diseases and even early screening for certain conditions—capabilities that routine check-ups lack. Taking breast cancer risk assessment as an example, individuals identified as high-risk through genetic testing are advised to undergo targeted breast health screenings annually and adopt personalized preventive measures, thereby significantly reducing their likelihood of developing the disease. Xiao Zhe believes, “Conventional physical examinations and genetic testing should have a mutually reinforcing relationship; we believe that in the future, the two will interact to form a closed loop.”

Currently, the company’s main products are focused on the field of public health, primarily including fitness and wellness, susceptibility gene testing for diseases (Mei Yin An), early cancer screening, and personal whole-genome products. Xiao Zhe stated, “The starting point of product design is to align closely with market demands by developing products that meet mainstream consumer needs. Under the premise of ensuring scientific rigor, we conduct targeted development, which not only controls costs but also achieves higher customer acceptance.”

Leveraging the most advanced international high-throughput whole-genome sequencing platforms, supported by a professional analysis team, and integrated with authoritative disease databases, Meiyin Genetics conducts in-depth mining of personal genomic data. It evaluates individual characteristics and personalized health indicators from multiple perspectives, including genetic traits, drug responses, exercise, and nutrition. Meanwhile, in accordance with standard medical research practices, it generates disease testing reports that categorize diseases into 14 fields, systematically reporting the risk of developing various conditions. Xiao Zhe stated, “Whole-genome sequencing is the most comprehensive among all gene sequencing methods, encompassing all disease risks and individual characteristics, whereas whole-exome sequencing can address approximately 80% of these issues.”

“At the same time, we also recognize the pain points in the current market: the general public remains largely unfamiliar with genetic testing, and many are unclear about what issues it can help resolve,” he added. The company has established an online community for genetic information exchange, providing a platform for customers to interact with one another, while offering face-to-face services to key clients. “Such a community can serve as an effective channel for consultation and promotion, and interactions among customers can foster positive word-of-mouth.” Xiao Zhe further stated, “Next, we plan to develop a client-side mobile app to allow users to easily access their reports and even receive dynamic health management updates.”

This October, Meiyin announced a strategic partnership with seven investors and completed its first round of financing. The funding amount reached 167 million, which will be used to build a large-scale gene sequencing center and a Chinese population gene-phenotype data center. It aims to explore the relationships between personal genomics, proteomics, microbiomics, metabolomics, mobile smart device data, and diseases, providing big data support for discovering disease causes, drug development, and health interventions.

Less than a year after its establishment, this young company secured substantial capital injection. Xiao Zhe attributes this primarily to the unique core competitiveness of Meiyin Gene, which has gained industry recognition in areas such as marketing channels, product development, and the construction of genotype-phenotype databases.

Meiyin Gene's Business Model

“Actually, the current pace of development has exceeded everyone’s expectations, with both fund utilization and project progress proceeding quite smoothly,” said Xiao Zhe.

Currently, Meinian Onehealth has approximately 300 centers nationwide, serving a total customer base of around 15 million. The sheer volume of customers acquired through this single channel is already substantial. Rapidly achieving comprehensive coverage of the Meinian system across China also poses challenges to Meiyin’s accelerated development. Furthermore, Meiyin Genomics is actively expanding collaborations with other health examination providers, health management channels, and insurance institutions. As the scope of these partnerships continues to widen, Meiyin Genomics’ marketing channels are set to further expand and strengthen.

While building robust marketing channels, Meinian Genetics is also continuously developing trendsetting products. Xiao Zhe stated that although mature technologies and products exist abroad, directly introducing them to China may not necessarily suit the Chinese market. Determining which products are suitable for the Chinese market requires careful consideration by all stakeholders. This industry differs from the internet sector; it cannot be entirely replicated and must be adapted to local conditions in China.

“Product development should cater to the market of the majority in China, with considerations for cost and user needs, while adhering to one’s own principles—avoiding exaggeration and staying grounded in science,” emphasized Xiao Zhe.

Currently, Meiyin Gene’s product development is primarily focused on two areas: first, the establishment of a rapid high-throughput sequencing platform and a data analysis platform; and second, initiatives and services in health management, with continued development of highly sought-after products such as consumer-oriented health solutions and early disease screening. “If other companies have strong products, we are open to collaboration,” said Xiao Zhe. “Meiyin Gene positions itself as a platform-based company and does not exclude cooperation with peers. Leveraging our robust marketing channels to promote products reflects our mindset as a platform company.”

Meanwhile, Meiyin Genetics has also demonstrated significant potential in establishing a gene-phenotype database. Leveraging the vast data resources of Meinian Onehealth, and with user consent, it matches genetic data with individual phenotypes to build a massive database. Xiao Zhe stated, “In the future, this will also become a strong competitive advantage for the company.”

As urban technology advances, living environments are facing increasing challenges. In China, the health services industry has become the future sector with the greatest development potential, giving rise to a vast blue-ocean market. “We all know that scientific research sequencing is a market worth tens of billions, while clinical sequencing is a market worth hundreds of billions. The mass consumer segment is just getting started; perhaps in ten or twenty years, we will see an even larger market,” said Xiao Zhe.

From a policy perspective, the health examination industry is undoubtedly one that receives strong state support and encouragement. As early as August 2013, promoting the development of the health service industry was established as a key agenda item at the State Council executive meeting presided over by Premier Li Keqiang. The Outline of the 13th Five-Year Plan for National Economic and Social Development proposed advancing the "Healthy China" initiative, encouraging non-state entities to establish health service enterprises, improving the multi-site practice system for physicians, fully implementing clinical pathways, enhancing health information services and big data application capabilities, and developing telemedicine and smart healthcare. Health services have become a major national undertaking critical to the national economy, people's livelihood, and the overall happiness index of future society.

With the implementation of the proposals outlined in the 13th Five-Year Plan, “Healthy China” has been officially elevated to a national strategy. The broad health industry has become unquestionably the most promising sunrise sector in China, and the concept of “prioritizing prevention before disease onset and prioritizing health screenings” has gradually gained widespread consensus among the government, enterprises, and the general public.

Xiao Zhe revealed that the primary advantages and strategic focus of Meiyin Gene lie in the mass consumer market, while the company has also established a presence in clinical and research sectors. It acquires data related to tumors and genetic diseases through clinical collaborations, and engages in product development by partnering with universities and research institutions.

Currently, the company plans to achieve regulatory approval for its disease screening products in clinical practice as early as possible. In terms of research and development, the company will continue to invest in building its database to establish its core competitive advantage.

“We aim to enable everyone to understand their own genes and possess their own genetic data, leveraging this information for disease diagnosis, treatment, and health management,” said Xiao Zhe. “One of the goals of Meiyin Gene is to provide customers with precise health management and medical services through genetic testing. In the future, we plan to undertake even more ambitious initiatives, such as establishing digital life centers.”

Moving forward, the company will further advance and expand its current business operations, continue to lead the trend in public health check-ups, promote the popularization of genetic testing and precision prevention knowledge, establish a genetic data gateway for the Chinese population, and lay the groundwork in advance for achieving its ultimate goal.