Eli Lilly China has formed a partnership with JD Health, a prominent Chinese online healthcare platform, to develop a digital support system aimed at individuals managing overweight and obesity, type 2 diabetes, and alopecia areata. This collaboration will facilitate the sale of Eli Lilly's blockbuster drugs for obesity and diabetes through JD Health's online platform, enhancing patient access via consultations, prescriptions, and delivery services. The initiative is designed to streamline the patient journey from education to treatment. This move follows similar strategies by competitors to boost sales through direct-to-consumer channels in the Chinese market. Separately, AstraZeneca has committed $2.5 billion to establish a research and development center in Beijing, a key part of its strategy to stabilize its business operations in China after a probe into alleged illegal drug sales last year.