Merck plans China expansion with eye on AI-powered precision medicine

German pharmaceutical company Merck is expanding its business in China, with an eye on the development of precision medicine powered by artificial intelligence (AI) technology, according to a senior leader of the multinational drugmaker.

In an interview with China Global Television Network (CGTN) on the sidelines of the China Development Forum 2025 in Beijing, Marc Horn, the executive vice president of Merck Group and the president of Merck China, said that the company is accelerating the introduction of its global pipeline into China and deepening local partnerships in chronic disease management.

"We are developing diabetes, cardio, but also thyroids and oncology. So we are bringing a lot of new pipeline from oncology to China. But we are also developing here locally with partners. We have been developing in that space products here for China together," said Horn.

He highlighted the application of AI, saying that the emerging technology improves the efficiency of medical research and development, and helps create customized individual treatment.

"Beyond that, when you think about life science, and taking AI again, what is more important is that you do really precision medicine, so really customized medicine by person. You're really diagnosing now, with the help of AI, what is your problem, so that you really get a customized treatment. And in that space, for example, also to develop new solutions to your problem, you use AI, so we have programs, we call them AIDDISON, we call them SYNTHIA, where you can very quickly go through millions of potential molecules, and decide then with AI help which one would be the right pathway to go," Horn said.

He also noted that given China's demographic and medical needs, the company is using AI to lay the groundwork for a smarter, more adaptive business to support the Chinese healthcare system.

"The other area we see, where we can support, is really elderly care, right? You have in China, from a demographics point of view in 2035, 400 million people, what the government call 'the silver economy,' where we can also support, right? Each of them will need customized treatment, care at home, most likely. And think about combining that with robotics, humanoid robotics. So these are areas we're working on," said Horn.

Merck plans China expansion with eye on AI-powered precision medicine

Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney's official visit to China signals a policy shift towards building a more pragmatic relationship between the two countries, according to a Canadian researcher.

Carney arrived in Beijing on Wednesday to begin an official visit to China through Saturday, which marks the first trip by a Canadian Prime Minister to the country in eight years.

Robert Hanlon, director and principal investigator of Canada and the Asia Pacific Policy Project (CAPPP) at Thompson Rivers University in British Columbia, told the China Global Television Network (CGTN) that Carney's visit indicates Canada is recalibrating its strategic perception of China, which could cement the foundation for the country's economic diversification efforts and boost the development of bilateral cooperation.

"I think it's a clear message that he has moved Canada's strategy to a much more pragmatic, interest-based, -focused relationship with our trading partners, moving away from values-based narratives that we might have heard on previous governments. Canada has spoken about moving from what the Prime Minister's Office is calling "from reliance to resilience", and that means diversifying our economies and our trade everywhere in the world. And so China being our second largest trading partner, it makes perfect sense for our PM to head to Beijing," he said.

The scholar also noted the huge cooperation potential between the two sides in economic and trade fields, citing Canada's efforts to step up shipments of liquefied natural gas (LNG) and the planned construction of an oil pipeline in Alberta which aims to increase export access to Asian markets. "Canada and China both share tremendous economic opportunities together and so finding ways to enhance our exports. Canada specifically looking to build out its LNG and oil, kind of export market. We know Canada is a major producer of critical minerals and China is a buyer. And so there's a lot of synergy between that kind of those kind of markets," he said.

Canadian PM's visit to China paves way for more pragmatic trade ties: scholar