HealthyWay Internet Healthcare Weekly Highlights (20150427)

Events & Perspectives

The Premier stated that with “Internet Plus,” the unknown far outweighs the known, and future possibilities are boundless. Every incremental exploration accumulates into a profound force, inevitably reshaping the landscape of traditional industries. In this regard, major industry players have demonstrated exemplary mastery in applying “Internet Plus Healthcare.”

It is well known that Alibaba has always been aggressively expanding its presence in the healthcare industry. Last week, it once again grabbed the headlines.

First, its subsidiaryAlibaba Cloud, Xi'an International Medical Center, and Donghua SoftwareStrategic Cooperation Agreement Reached,Jointly creating China's first physical smart "Cloud Hospital"—Xi'an International Medical Center, making it the first physical medical institution in China to drive precision medicine and health management through data.

Next isAlibaba Health and Jiangsu Yuyue TechnologySigned a framework agreement,To Launch a Three-Year Collaboration in Developing Internet Health Services and Medical Devices. According to Ali Health, the specific implementation details and progress are subject to uncertainty.

This is not over yet, last weekWe have also reached a cooperation agreement with Huakang.. It will integrate appointment registration and online physician resources from nearly 500 public hospitals in provinces and cities such as Shenzhen, Zhuhai, Hainan, and Heilongjiang on the latter’s platform, providing users with services including remote medical consultations, online inquiries, and appointment scheduling. In addition, Huakang’s business scope also covers intra-consultation processes such as retrieval of laboratory test reports, point-of-care payment, and electronic medical records, as well as post-consultation processes involving physician-led follow-up and patient management. The two parties may continue to collaborate in these areas.

And poached from AlibabaPing An Health Internet Healthcare Company finally announced the launch of “Ping An Good Doctor” last week.Wang Tao, Chairman of Ping An Health Insurance and Ping An Health Internet, stated that “Ping An Good Doctor” represents an “Internet + Healthcare” model. When asked about the differences between his company and Alibaba’s healthcare initiatives, Wang characterized their relationship with BAT (Baidu, Alibaba, and Tencent) as mutually beneficial. Dr. Gu Xuefei from the Health Development Research Center of the National Health and Family Planning Commission noted that Ping An’s future strategy is essentially an online or internet-based HMO (Health Maintenance Organization).

Let’s also discuss those that saw activity last week.Baidu, followingIn collaboration with CCTVFollowing the “A Visit to Chinese New Year” news feature, joining hands once againLaunch of the “Cancer by the Numbers” News Special. Interpreting healthcare through big data, ushering in a new chapter in digital journalism. According to VCBeat, upcoming episodes will feature reports on tumor diseases of greatest concern to urban residents, such as lung cancer and breast cancer.

Last week, another genetic testing giantBGI Genomics，Launched a powerful and highly secure cloud computing platform service for genomic data analysis—BGI OnlineBGI Online provides a one-stop solution for managing next-generation “gene sequencing” projects, enabling users to easily create and run complex data analysis pipelines. Users of the BGI Online platform can develop their own analytical tools based on BGI Genomics’ open-source software development kits. More importantly, these user-developed tools can be integrated with the public analytical tools, bioinformatics analysis tools, and other resources available on the BGI Online platform, thereby establishing a comprehensive analysis workflow that better aligns with users’ specific research needs.

Also attached is one acquisition news item:
India’s Healthcare O2O Giant Practo Acquires Health and Wellness Startup FitHo WellnessFollowing the acquisition, FitHo’s existing products will be phased out within the next six months, after which a brand-new preventive healthcare product will be launched. In addition to acquiring the team, Practo also obtained its patented algorithms and recommendation engine—the latter of which can automatically recommend three daily meals and exercise plans based on users’ lifestyle habits, fitness needs, and food preferences. Another promising startup in India’s preventive healthcare sector is Goqii, which has developed a personal fitness coaching service and health tracking system.

Healthcare Reform

Shandong Rectifies the Medical Device Market, Including Condoms: Sales of Condoms Require FilingShandong Province will launch a six-month special campaign to rectify the medical device sector. The campaign will focus on five categories of medical devices that have drawn significant public attention or are widely used: colored contact lenses, custom-made dentures, condoms, in vitro diagnostic reagents, and single-use infusion sets. Meanwhile, illegal and non-compliant experiential sales practices involving medical devices, such as exaggerated efficacy claims and false advertising, will also be addressed.

National Health and Family Planning Commission, Ministry of Civil Affairs, and Ministry of Human Resources and Social Security to Jointly Issue Guidelines on Advancing Qualification Accreditation for Integrated Medical and Elderly Care Services:Cai Fei, Director of the Family Development Division and the Family Development Guidance Division of the National Health and Family Planning Commission (NHFPC), revealed that the NHFPC is collaborating with the Ministry of Civil Affairs and the Ministry of Human Resources and Social Security to jointly study and prepare for the release of a policy document on promoting the integration of medical care and elderly care in China. Cai Fei stated that “integration of medical care and elderly care” essentially refers to “medical and health services + elderly care services.” From an institutional perspective, this means either obtaining permission and qualifications from the Ministry of Civil Affairs to provide elderly care services based on existing medical institutions, or gaining recognition and qualifications from health authorities to deliver medical services based on existing elderly care institutions. Institutions that possess both capabilities are referred to as integrated medical and elderly care institutions.

Compensate Public Hospitals and Raise Salaries for Medical Staff to Boost Motivation:Ma Xiaowei, Deputy Director of the National Health and Family Planning Commission, stated that the next phase of comprehensive healthcare reform will focus on vigorously advancing public hospital reforms, improving compensation mechanisms for public hospitals, rationalizing price ratios among medical services, accelerating the establishment of modern hospital management systems, and expediting the development of a tiered diagnosis and treatment system.

Yunnan to Issue Guidelines to Promote the Development of the Traditional Chinese Medicine (Ethnic Medicine) Industry:The Yunnan Provincial Government will soon issue the "Guiding Opinions on Accelerating the Development of the Traditional Chinese Medicine (Ethnic Medicine) Industry," implementing seven key tasks and eight safeguard measures to further standardize the cultivation of Chinese medicinal materials, extend the industrial chain, improve the market circulation system, deeply tap into development potential, and advance the construction of Yunnan as a hub for Chinese herbal medicine, thereby cultivating the traditional Chinese medicine (ethnic medicine) industry into an emerging sector that enriches the populace and revitalizes Yunnan.

VCBeat Exclusive

What Are the Characteristics of Companies Valued at Over $1 Billion at the Series A Stage?

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30 Most Noteworthy Healthcare Startups of 2015: Zipnosis – Asynchronous Telemedicine Enables Patients to Receive Care for Common Conditions at Home

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30 Most Notable Healthcare Startups to Watch in 2015: Sherpaa—An Online Consultation Company with Zero Customer Churn

VCBeat VB Think Tank Session 4 | Sequoia Capital’s Investments and Insights in Internet Healthcare

Review of the Leading Online Appointment and Consultation Platforms: JiuYi160

Experts Call for the Time to Bring Internet Healthcare into Clinical Trials

Internet Healthcare Buzzwords:Asynchronous mode & Synchronous mode/epatient

Data

39% of U.S. Physicians Still Rely on Paper for Their Work:U.S. Survey Firm YouGov Releases Latest Findings on U.S. Physicians’ Mobile Device UsageA recent survey by the U.S. research firm YouGov reveals that 50% of physicians use smartphones, 49% use laptops, and 23% use iPads. However, 56% of physicians still use desktop computers. Additionally, 55% of physicians continue to use fax machines, and 27% even still rely on pagers. Thirty-nine percent of physicians still use paper records.

The Global Melanoma Treatment Market Will Reach $5.64 Billion in 2023:GlobalData, a renowned global market research firm, has analyzed the future development of the global melanoma treatment market. GlobalData projects that the market will experience rapid growth at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 15.5% over the ten-year period from 2013 to 2023, quadrupling in value from $1.34 billion in 2013 to $5.64 billion by 2023. The report indicates that this growth will primarily occur across eight major countries: the United States, Japan, Australia, and five European nations (the United Kingdom, Germany, France, Italy, and Spain). It further predicts that by 2023, immune checkpoint inhibitors and BRAF/MEK inhibitors will collectively account for more than 97% of the global melanoma market, with immune checkpoint inhibitors dominating the sector and capturing a 67% market share.

China’s Colorectal Cancer (CRC) Treatment Market to Surpass $1 Billion in 2023:GlobalData, a renowned global market research firm, released a recent report indicating that the colorectal cancer (CRC) treatment market in China was valued at USD 259 million in 2013. Over the following decade (2013–2023), this market is projected to expand rapidly at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 15.1%, quadrupling in value to reach USD 1.05 billion by 2023 and becoming the third-largest CRC treatment market worldwide, after the United States and Japan. According to forecasts by GBI Research, the global CRC treatment market will reach USD 9.4 billion in 2020. Based on this projection, China will account for an additional 11% of the market capacity.

The number of people using home medical technology will reach 78.5 million in 2020:Tractica reported that the number of people using home medical technology would increase from 14.3 million in 2014 to 78.5 million in 2020. It also stated that between 2014 and 2020, medical monitoring, diagnosis, and treatment would account for the largest market share in the home medical technology sector. Meanwhile, these technologies will drive the development of various connected devices and software applications.

U.S. Digital Ad Spending in 2014 Totaled $49.5 Billion, with Search Accounting for Over 50%:According to the 2014 U.S. Digital Advertising Statistics Report released by the IAB, digital advertising spending in the United States reached a record high of $49.5 billion in 2014. The mobile and social sectors experienced the most significant growth; however, search remained the largest category for ad expenditure, accounting for a total of $24.6 billion in digital advertising spend. Of this amount, desktop search generated $19 billion, still surpassing mobile search.

2015 Global Sleep Report: The Average Bedtime for Chinese People Is 00:32Sleep Cycle Releases World Sleep Report: Finns Sleep the Most, Averaging 7 Hours and 24 Minutes, with 8 Hours and 2 Minutes on Saturdays; Japan Has the Worst Sleep Habits, with a Shocking Average of 5 Hours and 52 Minutes, Rising to Only 6 Hours and 9 Minutes on Saturdays. Additionally, Slovakia Boasts the Best Sleep Quality. In China, the average bedtime is 12:32 AM and wake-up time is 7:42 AM, resulting in an average daily sleep duration of 6 hours and 43 minutes. Among all countries, China ranks 28th in terms of sleep duration (from longest to shortest).

China's Wearable Device Market Size Expected to Exceed RMB 10 Billion This Year:According to the “Overview of the Development of China’s Wearable Device Industry in 2014” released by the China Wearable Computing Industry Technology Innovation Strategic Alliance, the market size of wearable devices in China exceeded RMB 600 million in 2012 and reached RMB 2.4 billion in 2013, with the market size projected to surpass RMB 10 billion in 2015.

The global market size for biological bone graft materials will reach $7.9 billion by 2019:According to the latest report forecast by MicroMarket Monitor, the global market for biological bone graft materials is expected to experience substantial growth in the coming years. The compound annual growth rate (CAGR) from 2014 to 2019 was 7.4%, with the market size projected to increase from $5.7 billion in 2014 to $7.9 billion in 2019.

By 2024, the shipment volume of 3D printing in healthcare will increase to 3,055 units:According to forecasts from SmarTech Markets Publishing, shipments of 3D printers in the healthcare industry are projected to grow from 2,135 units in 2020 to 3,055 units in 2024.

96% of U.S. Users Acknowledge the Value of Apps:A survey conducted by Research Now among 500 physicians and 1,000 users of mobile health applications (hereinafter referred to as “apps”) in the United States revealed that 46% of physicians indicated they would recommend relevant apps to their patients within the next five years; 86% of physicians believed that apps help them better understand patients’ health conditions; 96% of app users considered that these apps could improve their quality of life; and 72% of physicians believed that apps encourage patients to take greater responsibility for their own health.

Overseas
FDA’s New Initiative: Clinical Trials for Medical Devices Can Be Conducted Abroad
Many clinical trials for medical devices are conducted at centers outside the United States. The FDA’s new guidance document proposes that foreign data can be applied within the United States; however, using such data for domestic regulatory purposes presents significant challenges.

New Technologies

Wearable Sensor “NailO” Turns Fingernails into Touchpads for Smart Devices
The MIT Media Lab has invented a device called “NailO,” which enables users to freely control smart devices even when their hands are occupied, such as answering phone calls while cooking. This device also enhances the functionality of smartphones and other wearable technologies by expanding input methods. For instance, users can switch between letters, spaces, emojis, and other input modes on their smartphone keyboards simply by interacting with their fingernails.

French Biohackers Develop New Potion to Grant Humans Night Vision
Biohackers (a collective formed to prevent monopolistic manipulation arising from technology being controlled by a small group of professionals) have developed a liquid substance called “Chlorin e6,” a type of chlorophyll extracted from fish capable of clear vision in the deep sea. The substance has been successfully tested: one hour after injection, subjects’ vision returned to normal, and they were able to accurately identify people and objects within 50 meters in complete darkness, whereas ordinary individuals have only a 33% accuracy rate in identifying objects at night.

Snap-on iPhone Camera Device Enables Rapid Detection of Cancer and AIDS
Scientists at Massachusetts General Hospital and Harvard Medical School have invented a device that can be attached to smartphones such as the iPhone, capable of detecting cancer within minutes and saving lives. According to the developers, the device can even be used for diagnosing infectious diseases, including HIV, tuberculosis (TB), and Ebola.

Palm-Sized Non-Invasive Blood Glucose Monitoring Sensor
The Japan Atomic Energy Agency (JAEA) has developed a palm-sized, non-invasive blood glucose sensor. This achievement was made possible by the miniaturization and high-output enhancement of mid-infrared lasers, with basic experiments confirming that the device meets the detection accuracy required for clinical use. JAEA envisions its application in medical institutions, public facilities, and personal use, and plans to proceed with clinical trials and collaborations with medical device manufacturers.

Sensor for Detecting Meat Spoilage
MIT has developed a miniature sensor that primarily uses chemical methods to modify carbon nanotubes, enabling them to conduct electricity. Upon exposure to gases associated with mold growth in the air, the flow of current is inhibited. To date, this sensor has successfully detected whether pork, beef, chicken, salmon, and cod remain fit for consumption.

Capital