Baheal Pharmaceutical Group signs a partnership agreement with IBM in Beijing on Wednesday. [Provided to China.org.cn]

Baheal Pharmaceutical Group, a Chinese company specilizing in e-health, signed a partnership agreement with IBM in Beijing on Wednesday to bring Watson for Genomics to hospitals and clinics across China.

The deal came three months after Baheal signed a separate agreement with IBM in March to introduce the oncology product. The two Watson products are part of IBM’s attempt to use its natural language computer system as the basis for targeted healthcare offerings.

Watson for Genomics is a cognitive computing platform for more precise treatment of cancer patients. It helps uncover potential therapeutic options that target the tumor's genetic alterations through analyzing massive genomic, clinical and pharmacological knowledge.

"Despite the promise of precision medicine, data-driven challenges make it difficult for oncologists to bring genomic advances to their patients," said Gang Fu, chairman of Baheal Pharmaceutical Group. "We believe Watson will help accelerate this growing field so that research advances can be accessed for patient benefit more quickly. "

Baheal Group has a proven track record delivering value to hospitals across China working with more than 12,000 hospitals today, and the company has already implemented Watson for Oncology at 8 hospitals.

"With the rapid proliferation of clinical, research and genomic data, we are proud to work with Baheal Group to bring the promise of cognitive computing to doctors and researchers all across China," said Rob Merkel, General Manager of Oncology and Genomics, IBM Watson Health. "Watson for Genomics can empower oncologists to deliver genomic insights to their patients faster and easier than it can now be done. We believe this has the power to scale expertise and ultimately help oncologists make more informed decisions."

Baheal currently works with more than 12,000 hospitals across China, thus improving Watson’s adoption among oncologists in China, where cancer kills 2.8 million people annually.

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