Berry Oncology Corporation, a member company of Berry Genomics, and Alibaba Health have signed a strategic agreement to jointly build a comprehensive cancer screening and prevention ecosystem based on a strategy that combines internet connectivity, early cancer screening technology and medical safety.
A multi-dimensional partnership with public benefit
In recent years, the incidence and mortality of malignant tumors in China have risen, making it one of the major factors threatening public health. The Healthy China 2030 plan has made early prevention and treatment of cancers a priority. The plan aims to achieve an overall five-year survival rate of at least 43.3% by 2022 and 46.6% by 2030 among cancer patients. It also aims to reach a 55% – and rising – rate of early diagnosis for major high-incidence cancer types, as well as implement regular screening for individuals at a higher risk of cancer.
To achieve these goals, many practical challenges need to be overcome, such as how to incorporate more public resources in promoting cancer prevention and early treatment, and how to better standardize early diagnosis and treatment among health professionals. As the types of high-risk tumors, along with business and clinical environments found in China are quite different from those in Europe and the United States, simply copying systems used elsewhere will not effectively solve these problems. Therefore, it's imperative to create a program for early screening that meets the needs of Chinese people.
This partnership is one of the solutions that has been jointly explored by leading Chinese companies in various fields in order to meet these challenges. Alibaba Health and Berry Oncology will combine their superior resources to partner in areas such as medical products and services, disease prevention, health management services, science education and big data, providing patients with comprehensive care using a brand-new precision medical service platform.
Berry Oncology and partners achieve early diagnosis and treatment of all types of cancers
Berry Oncology's technology, developed using its wealth of knowledge and experience in the field of early cancer screening, is a key piece in the development of the cancer prevention and treatment ecosystem. With a total investment of more than $31 million, Berry Oncology's PreCar Project (Prospective suRveillance for very Early hepatocelluar CARcinoma) is the first and only ultra-large-scale, forward-looking cohort study for early-stage liver cancer screening in China based on next-generation sequencing (NGS) technology. It is also the world's largest and fastest-growing prospective liver cancer cohort study.
In February, an article published by PreCar researchers in the renowned medical journal Cell Research demonstrated that the project's early cancer screening technology, called HIFI, can be used at any stage of liver cancer, and provides the most accurate clinical data to date for identifying liver cancer. In April, PreCar announced the launch of an extended Phase II study of the technology's clinical application to broaden its use beyond early liver cancer screening to comprehensive disease management.
Alibaba Health chose Berry Oncology as a strategic partner precisely for its technological advantages. The companies will use an online-offline integrated health services model to provide reliable and palpable full-course liver cancer solutions for individuals at higher risks of contracting the disease. Notably, Berry Oncology's new early liver cancer screening product called "Lai Si Ning," which employs HIFI screening technology, will be a core technology powering the development of the ecosystem. Providing product and support allows the company to also add value and service guarantees. Studies show Lai Si Ning is able to detect liver cancer 6-12 months earlier and more accurately than traditional methods, providing a valuable window of opportunity for clinical intervention. Consumers can purchase Lai Si Ning directly from Alibaba's e-commerce platform Taobao.
The two parties have begun exploring the partnership and are providing individuals suffering from liver disease with China's first hepatopathy medical insurance, called "Hao Yao Bao." The insurance, which patients can find in the Taobao ecommerce platform, combines consultancy with early cancer screenin...
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