DaVita Inc. (NYSE: DVA), a leading provider of kidney care services for those diagnosed with chronic kidney disease (CKD) today announced it has entered into an agreement with 3SBio Inc., a leading Chinese biotechnology developer of biopharmaceutical products, to establish a joint venture for providing dialysis treatments in northeastern China.
"This relationship marks an important chapter in DaVita's long-term international plans," said DaVita Chairman and CEO Kent Thiry. "Patients will benefit from the strategic alliance of combining 3SBio's research and DaVita's focus on delivering outstanding clinical outcomes."
"China is an important market for DaVita, and our partnership with 3SBio will be a key element for successfully treating patients in this region of the country," said Dennis Kogod, DaVita chief operating officer.
3SBio's research activity is focused on addressing significant unmet medical needs in nephrology, oncology, supportive cancer care, and infectious diseases. The company also develops, manufactures and markets biopharmaceutical products. In addition to establishing their joint venture, DaVita and 3SBio have agreed to enter into a supply agreement for anemia management drugs throughout China.
"We look forward to the opportunity of serving patients and contributing to quality care in China," said Atul Mathur, DaVita president for the Asia-Pacific region.
As a leading provider of kidney care services in the United States, DaVita has achieved clinical outcomes that have improved year-over-year for more than a decade, and it will share that expertise through its active engagement in managing the clinics.
"Our collaboration with DaVita will accelerate our initiatives to provide dialysis services where they are most needed, and contribute to a better quality of life for many of China's undertreated ESRD patients," said Dr. Jing Lou, CEO of 3SBio.
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