Skip to main content
Premium Trial:

Request an Annual Quote

IBM Watson for Oncology Introduced to 21 Chinese Hospitals

NEW YORK (GenomeWeb) – IBM and Hangzhou CognitiveCare announced that 21 hospitals across China plan to adopt Watson for Oncology in order to help their clinicians better personalize cancer treatments for their patients.

The partners said the initial 21-hospital deal is part of a multi-year partnership that plans to introduce Watson to several more hospitals across China. Hangzhou CognitiveCare will provide sales, service, and customer support, including localizing Watson's results and analysis for doctors in China, and providing some translation services for drug labels and treatment guidelines.

Watson for Oncology draws from more than 300 medical journals, more than 200 textbooks, and nearly 15 million pages of text, IBM said. It provides recommendations about different drug options and administration instructions, as well as information from various treatment guidelines.

"Hangzhou CognitiveCare is eager to bring IBM's Watson for Oncology to reach every oncologist in China we possibly can," said CEO Zhen Tu in a statement. "Watson has the power to transform how doctors battle cancer in China and around the world, providing physicians with insights regarding treatment options that help them customize therapeutic recommendations specific to each individual, based on a patient's specific needs."

Financial terms of the deal were not disclosed.

The Scan

Positive Framing of Genetic Studies Can Spark Mistrust Among Underrepresented Groups

Researchers in Human Genetics and Genomics Advances report that how researchers describe genomic studies may alienate potential participants.

Small Study of Gene Editing to Treat Sickle Cell Disease

In a Novartis-sponsored study in the New England Journal of Medicine, researchers found that a CRISPR-Cas9-based treatment targeting promoters of genes encoding fetal hemoglobin could reduce disease symptoms.

Gut Microbiome Changes Appear in Infants Before They Develop Eczema, Study Finds

Researchers report in mSystems that infants experienced an enrichment in Clostridium sensu stricto 1 and Finegoldia and a depletion of Bacteroides before developing eczema.

Acute Myeloid Leukemia Treatment Specificity Enhanced With Stem Cell Editing

A study in Nature suggests epitope editing in donor stem cells prior to bone marrow transplants can stave off toxicity when targeting acute myeloid leukemia with immunotherapy.