NEW YORK (GenomeWeb) – IBM Watson Health announced today that it has signed an agreement making Baheal Pharmaceutical Group the primary channel partner for its Watson for Genomics platform in China.
Watson for Genomics is designed to analyze large sets of genomic, clinical, and pharmacological data to generate a report for physicians that identifies genetic alterations that are actionable based on literature, as well as drugs and clinical trials that target those alterations.
Under the terms of the multi-year deal, Qingdao-based Baheal will sell the molecular data-interpretation technology to clinicians and researchers throughout China. Additional terms were not disclosed.
"Despite the promise of precision medicine, data-driven challenges make it difficult for oncologists to bring genomic advances to their patients," Baheal Chairman Gang Fu said in a statement. "We believe Watson will help accelerate this growing field so that research advances can be accessed for patient benefit more quickly."
Earlier this year, IBM partnered with Baheal to launch Watson for Oncology — a cognitive computing platform that presents treatment options to oncologists — in China. IBM said that Baheal has implemented Watson for Oncology at eight hospitals to date.