EISAI AND JD HEALTH ESTABLISH A JOINT VENTURE COMPANY IN CHINA TO IMPLEMENT HEALTH SERVICE PLATFORMAiming to make a new contribution through a One-Stop Online Service for people living with Dementia in China

Eisai Co., Ltd.

JD Health

 

Eisai Co., Ltd. (Headquarters: Tokyo, CEO: Haruo Naito, “Eisai”) and JD Health (Headquarters: Beijing, China, CEO: Lijun Xin, “JD Health”) announced today that Eisai’s Chinese subsidiary Eisai China Holdings Ltd. (Suzhou, Jiangsu Province, China, “Eisai China”) and JD Health have established a joint venture company, Jingyi Weixiang(Shanghai)Health Industry Development Limited Company, to build a Health Service Platform for the elderly in China.

 

In China, due to the aging population, as of the end of 2019 the elderly population over the age of 60 was 253.88 million, which accounted for 18.1 % of the total population of China1. With the rapid aging of the population, there is an increasing need for high-quality medical and nursing care for the elderly, and thus the provision thereof is an issue. The onlineization in the medical field utilizing digital technology is rapidly developing in China; for example, the ban on internet hospitals under private medical insurance has been lifted as of 20122.

Eisai has over 35 years of experience in drug discovery activities in the area of Alzheimer’s disease/dementia with a rich development pipeline thereof. Eisai also has an understanding of the true needs of those living with dementia and their families as derived from the marketing of anti-Alzheimer's agent Aricept®, as well as a network of healthcare providers that includes medical specialists in dementia. JD Health has a strong e-commerce business foundation, internet medical service know-how, and logistics infrastructure covering 99% of vast regions in China. Eisai and JD Health have now established a joint venture company in China that integrates the strengths of both companies, with JD Health investing 51% and Eisai China investing 49%. The two companies aim to build a new One-Stop Health Service Platform for the elderly in China, where users can select and use the most suitable individual service from a variety of information and medical services. The two companies will first build a platform with a special feature for dementia, and in the future plan to expand the platform to a wide range of diseases which frequently found in the elderly.

 

The One-Stop Health Service Platform will provide the following four core services online in China. The platform will launch these services beginning January 2021 in the order that they are authorized for provision and made ready.

   

  • Community Service
    For the purpose of dementia awareness and early detection, in addition to information regarding disease awareness of dementia from Eisai, tools will be provided via an internet platform for self-assessments of cognitive function, implementation and habitualization of dementia preventive action. Additionally, for caregivers of those living with dementia, the service also offers a place for caregivers and those living with dementia to communicate with each other, a mental health consultation service, and an opportunity for caregivers to receive counseling. This service aims to thus eliminate the concerns and worries of caregivers and support them by providing mental care.
  • Medical Service
    This service is intended for people who have concerns about cognitive function and those living with dementia. By using this service, users can be referred to medical institutions that provide internet medical services registered on the platform, and will be offered health care consultation, reservations for medical consultation, medical consultation, and treatment (a series of steps from prescription to delivery of necessary drugs) online. This service will lead users to medical consultations and appropriate treatments with relation to cognitive function at an early stage, and enable them to receive services from consultation to treatment smoothly.
  • Caregiving Service
    In collaboration with major nursing home groups in China, this service will introduce the most suitable nursing facilities and caregivers for those living with dementia and their families, upon request such as regional area, cost, etc. In addition, this service will enhance information for improvement by accumulating evaluations from users after using the service. For those involved in nursing care, including the families of those living with dementia, this service offers a wide range of features such as useful advice from medical staff for nursing care, as well as educational programs and training that lead to the acquisition of nursing care skills. It is expected that providing a wealth of information about nursing care services on the platform will meet the needs of both users of care services and caregivers at a high level.
  • Mall Service
    Through this service, pharmaceuticals, healthcare products, and lifestyle support devices targeted for those living with dementia will be sold online based on potential consumer needs as obtained by analyzing big data on elderly consumers. In addition, the online sales screen is customized to show products that are likely to be required according to the circumstances of disease progression of users living with dementia, such as cognitive function and amount of nursing care required.

Eisai and JD Health will leverage the knowledge and networks of both companies to build a One-Stop Health Service Platform that specializes in providing medical, health, and lifestyle services for the elderly, especially those living with dementia and their families, in order to contribute towards the fulfillment of medical needs in China.

  

Media Inquiries

  • Eisai Co., Ltd.

    Public Relations Department
    TEL: +81-(0)3-3817-5120

  • JD Health

    Public Relations Department
    TEL: +86-010-89113221

[Notes to editors]

1. Outline of joint-venture company

Company Name: Jingyi Weixiang (Shanghai) Health Industry Development Limited Company 
Location: Shanghai City, the People’s Republic of China
Representative: Director of the Board: Yanhui Feng (Eisai China)
General Manager: Enlin Jin (JD Health)
Scope of Business: Sales and development of pharmaceutical products and medical devices, Hospital management (including medical services), Health management, Health consulting, etc. 
Charter Capital: 80 million Chinese yuan
Major Shareholder and
  Ratio of Shares Held:
JD Health 51%, Eisai China 49%
Number of Employees: Approximately 50 staff members
Date of Establishment: October 19, 2020

 

2. About Eisai Co., Ltd.

Eisai Co., Ltd. is a leading global pharmaceutical company headquartered in Japan. Eisai’s corporate philosophy is based on the human health care (hhc) concept, which is to give first thought to patients and their families, and to increase the benefits that health care provides to them. With a global network of R&D facilities, manufacturing sites and marketing subsidiaries, we strive to realize our hhc philosophy by delivering innovative products to target diseases with high unmet medical needs, with a particular focus in our strategic areas of Neurology and Oncology.

For more information about Eisai Co., Ltd., please visit https://www.eisai.com.

 

3. History of Eisai's Business in China

Eisai has been conducting business in China for over 25 years. Eisai expanded into the market in 1991 through a joint venture company, and in 1996, established Eisai China Inc. (Suzhou, Jiangsu Province), a 100% subsidiary with manufacturing / marketing capabilities. In 2010, Eisai (Suzhou) Trading Co., Ltd. was established for directly importing products. In December 2015, Eisai entered the generic pharmaceutical business in China by buying out Eisai (Liaoning) Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd. for the purpose of fulfilling the medical needs of patients in China through providing a stable supply of high-quality generic medicine. These three companies were consolidated under Eisai China Holdings Ltd, which was established in December, 2014. The core products of Eisai's Chinese business include Parkinson's disease treatments Eldepryl®, anti-Alzheimer's agent Aricept®, peripheral neuropathy treatment Methycobal®, liver disease/allergic disease agents Stronger Neo-Minophagen® C / Glycyron® tablets, proton pump inhibitor Pariet® , antiepileptic drug Fycompa® as well as anti-cancer agent Lenvima® and Halaven®.

 

4. About JD Health

JD Health, a subsidiary of JD Group, specializes in medical and healthcare services. It was spun off from JD Group and began its independent operation in May 2019. At present, JD Health's business scope covers pharmaceutical supply chain, telemedicine, smart hospital solutions, and other healthcare services. Additionally, JD Health collaborates with other companies in the healthcare industry, in order to build a comprehensive health ecosystem. To date, JD Health’s products and services have nearly covered the entire pharmaceutical industry chain, the complete medical process, health management scenarios, and life cycle of users, aiming to build the most extensive and complete “Internet + healthcare” ecosystem in the industry.