Pony Ma Huateng, founder and chief executive officer of Tencent, has co-invested HK$1.22billion for a 4.8 percent stake in the Joincare Pharmaceutical Industry Group, the companyaccounced.
Advance Data Services Limited, controlled by the 43-year-old Internet tycoon, made a generaloffer to Hongxinhang Company, Joincare’s second largest shareholder, with MiaofengCompany controlled by Ou Yaping, chairman of SinoLink Properties, according to thestatement.
Upon completion, Ma and Ou will be controlling shareholders of Joincare, with a combinedholding of 74.39 million shares or a 4.81 percent stake, said the listed company in the filing toShanghai Stock Exchange.
Founded by Zhu Baoguo in 1992, Joincare Pharmaceutical offers about 500 kinds ofprescription drugs, OTCs and Chinese traditional medicines. The Shenzhen-headquarteredcompany is known for its “Taitai” and “Jingxin” oral liquid products that contain traditionalherbs specially for women’s healthcare.
Leverage on mobile clinic
China’s largest social networking platform is exploring a foray into the vast healthcare market,said analysts, as Tencent is a major investor and strategic partner in Joincare’s latest projectQdoc, an application offering online medical services and serving as doctors’ mobile clinic.
The application has drawn more than 20,000 doctors from 3A hospitals in the first two monthssince its official launch, said the Qdoc’s homepage.
China’s medical service and health care industry will likely continue to grow extensively thisyear with new business models emerging and taking shape, said the industry consultancyIDC in a report.
“New medical service and health management models will mature and develop a sustainableprofit pattern,” said Xiao Hongliang, IDC’s senior research manager.
The IDC expects information technologies such as data analysis and cloud computing to drivethe upgrade of medical services.