Merck and Wondfo Biotech Launch a Pilot Project to Improve the Access to Diagnosis and Treatment of Thyroid Diseases at the Primary Care Level

February 25, 2022, Guangzhou, China – Merck, a global leading science and technology company signed a cooperation agreement with Guangzhou Wondfo Biotech Co., Ltd. (Wondfo Biotech), whereby both will leverage their respective strengths in thyroid disease treatment and in vitro diagnosis to increase the accessibility of thyroid function testing in community-level hospitals, and to help improve the capability of those hospitals in thyroid disease diagnosis and treatment.

Paul Koolenbrander, Vice President and Head of Cardiovascular, Metabolism and Endocrinology Franchise at Merck China Healthcare, said, "Our cooperation with Wondfo Biotech is an exploration of an innovative collaboration mode in the field of thyroid diseases, with the goal of facilitating early diagnosis and early treatment for patients with thyroid disease at the community level, and bringing them treatment benefits."

"We hope to work with Merck to address the prevention and treatment needs of thyroid diseases at the community level, and by giving full play to our advantages in point-of-care testing (POCT), we aim to help improve the accessibility of primary care and promote innovation, so as to promote the construction of a healthy China in an all-round way", Peng Zhongxiong, CEO of Wondfo Biotech, said.

Thyroid disease is the second largest disease of the endocrine system. The latest epidemiological survey data shows that the prevalence of thyroid disease in Chinese adults is as high as 50%. However, as the symptoms are hidden and difficult to detect, the disease awareness rate is only 0.33%. Thyroid disease can affect multiple systems and organs, jeopardizing human health. Early screening of thyroid function plays an important role in the prevention and treatment of thyroid disease.
 
This cooperation project will be rolled out first as a pilot in community hospitals, to improve the accessibility of thyroid disease diagnosis and treatment by deploying Wondfo Biotech's POCT equipment and doctor education. As a response to the national policy of sinking medical resources from high-level hospitals to low-level hospitals for chronic diseases, this initiative will alleviate the problem of insufficient primary care resources for the detection, diagnosis and treatment of thyroid disease, while improving efficiency, to allow people living in counties to get their thyroid function tested without having to leaving their home.

As a global leader in the field of thyroid disease treatment, Merck is committed to raising public awareness on thyroid disease, and providing help to patients with long-term education, high-quality medicines, and advanced solutions. Looking forward, Merck will continue to explore better treatment options and more cooperation opportunities to improve disease treatment and life quality for Chinese patients with thyroid disease.
 
Wondfo Biotech is a national high-tech enterprise focusing on the R&D, production, sales and service of POCT Products. As one of the leading POCT companies in China, Wondfo Biotech's diagnostic products are being sold in more than 140 countries and regions, which are widely used in clinical testing, critical care medicine, primary care, epidemic monitoring, disaster rescue, on-site law enforcement, and family health management.

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