Cleveland HeartLab Teams With SK Telecom to Distribute Tests in China

By Ron Shinkman, Editor, Laboratory Industry Report

In another phase of the ongoing globalization of the U.S. laboratory market, Cleveland HeartLab (CHL) has entered into a deal to distribute and perform some of its assays in China.

SK Telecom, the Korean-based conglomerate, is opening up a hospital and a research and development center in Shenzhen, China. The company sees a big opportunity treating the huge Chinese market: About 230 million people in the country are at risk for developing cardiovascular disease (CVD). Cleveland HeartLab’s assays focus on cardiac inflammation and other markers for heart disease.

“CHL’s unique tests will be greatly valued by medical professionals as people are increasingly concerned with disease prevention. SK Telecom’s expertise and experience in China combined with CHL’s tests will lead to rapid market penetration by offering Chinese people a reliable tool to assess their risk for CVD and proactively address their condition,” said Yook Tae-sun, an SK Telecom executive vice president, in a statement.

The mortality rates involved with heart disease in China have been rising in recent years, reaching nearly 155 per 100,000 in urban areas, and 163 per 100,000 in rural parts of the country. By comparison, the U.S. mortality rate is about 200 per 100,000.

“Partnering with SK Telecom, a world renowned company that is investing heavily in healthcare in China, is an ideal opportunity for CHL that will provide quicker and broader access to the company’s unique and valuable testing to a large patient population in need of better risk identification,” said Cleveland HeartLab CEO Jake Orville in a statement.