Multinational pharmaceutical companies signed memorandums of understanding on collaboration with local healthcare authorities, associations and businesses at the ongoing China International Import Expo (CIIE) to play up their respective advantages to better contribute to a more innovative healthcare ecosystem in the country.

Novartis Pharmaceuticals (China) and WeDoctor signed an MoU of strategic partnership on Friday to jointly explore the empowerment of big data and the digitalization of innovative health-management model.

They will target ankylosing spondylitis, a rheumatic immune disease, as its first field trial and use innovative digital solutions for disease treatment and long-term management so that more patients can have access to timely, professional and long-term health services.

This MoU signing marked the launch of the establishment of the company's China business innovation alliance - Novartis Biome China, which aims to break boundaries of industries and to create scalable digital solutions with external partners.

Bertrand Bodson, chief digital officer at Novartis, said, "Through the Novartis Biome we're able to tap into exceptional expertise of tech ecosystems around the world so we can create impactful, scalable digital solutions for patients and healthcare workers."

Novartis also signed an MoU of strategic partnership with the medical product authority at the Boao Lecheng International Medical Tourism Pilot Zone in Hainan province to accelerate landing of the company's innovative therapies in the zone so that domestic patients with unmet clinical needs can have access to the world's most advanced treatments.

The collaboration also intends to explore the application prospects of real-world data research for the registration of innovative drugs in China and promote international and domestic clinical experience exchanges in the areas of oncology, cardiovascular, ophthalmology, hematology, transplantation and rare diseases.

Germany-based Boehringer Ingelheim signed an MoU with the Chinese Stroke Association to further promote nationwide training for doctors in the disease area of stroke, which causes one in five deaths in the country.

The collaboration will also initiate the construction of the Sichuan Stroke Comprehensive Training Center, which aims to radiate to medical workers in Western China to improve their clinical techniques in the disease area with systematic syllabus and clinical sessions to ultimately standardize diagnosis and treatment procedures of the disease and save more patients.

Also at CIIE, GE Healthcare and Ping An Healthcare Diagnosis Center affiliated with the Ping An Medical and Healthcare Management Co Ltd signed a strategic collaboration, aiming to provide Chinese customers with innovative medical device products, technical solutions and services.

By giving full play to the advantages of the former in resources and the latter as a professional, third-party medical service provider, the collaboration will touch upon areas, including equipment marketization, discipline construction, education and training and scientific research cooperation.