China Drugmakers Turn to AI Amid Graft Crackdown

Chinese pharmaceutical companies are exploring AI-powered medical platforms to reach doctors as anti-corruption rules make traditional hospital visits and marketing harder. Platforms from companies including Alibaba Health and JD Health offer doctors access to medical evidence and clinical information, while drugmakers are considering sponsored research, disease-specific academic tools and other digital engagement. Some services are already being used to build physician-facing platforms, but proposed features such as sponsored material alongside AI-generated answers on Alibaba Health’s Hydrion have not yet launched. The shift could give drugmakers new compliant ways to engage clinicians and provide health technology companies with additional revenue, though the platforms will need to preserve the credibility of medical information.