Nasdaq-listed 111, a Chinese healthcare platform, has entered into a strategic cooperation agreement with Jiangsu-based drug R&D firm Suzhou Zelgen Biopharmaceuticals Co. to build a virtual platform for liver cancer patients.

WHAT IT DOES

111 operates an internet hospital offering virtual health consultations, an electronic prescription service, and a patient management service. It also runs one of China's largest retail pharmacy networks serving over 320,000 pharmacies, as well as a medicine marketplace where pharmacies can source products. Moreover, 111 provides an omnichannel commercialisation platform for pharmaceutical firms. 

WHY IT MATTERS

111 claims that its upcoming online disease management platform will offer liver cancer patients with integrated services, including online consultations and information on diseases, medications and therapies.

Additionally, this latest partnership will see Zelgen's flagship product Zeprosyn – a drug for treating unresectable hepatocellular carcinoma, marketed through the platform. 

Liver cancer is the second leading cause of cancer deaths in China. Data from the WHO's International Agency for Research on Cancer shows that liver cancer accounts for about 410,000 new cancer cases in China last year, causing around 390,000 deaths.

THE LARGER TREND

In May, 111 also made a similar deal with another biotech firm, BeiGene, to launch an online oncology management platform leveraging its internet hospital capabilities.

111 said it has so far made 360 direct partnerships with pharma companies, such as Eli Lilly and Bayer Healthcare.

ON THE RECORD

"The cooperation with Zelgen in the field of liver cancer is an important deployment of our digital platform in health management services directed toward a leading cause of cancer death in China. By harnessing the power of the internet, we can break the limitations of time and space, and this new virtual platform will bring together specialists and patients online to efficiently carry out diagnoses, treatment education, follow-up visits and prescription renewals. These functions not only expand the service radius of doctors but also help medicines like Zeprosyn reach more patients," Dr Yu Gang, co-founder and executive chairman of 111, stated.

"Through this partnership, we will be able to take advantage of 111's online diagnosis, treatment, multi-channel platform and health management services to further increase the availability of new drugs and, in turn, provide greater benefits to patients," Zelgen Chairman and General Manager Dr Sheng Zelin also commented.