(Yicai Global) Jan. 24 -- US pharmaceutical giant Merck Group has reached a cooperation agreement with tech giant Tencent to work together in China's digital healthcare industry.

The pair aims to raise public awareness of diseases through online platforms and improve consumer understanding of disease symptoms and treatment options, the New Jersey-based firm said in a statement. They will also introduce more convenient and smarter medical services for managing chronic diseases.

"We will jointly explore the innovative combination of patient-centric healthcare management and digital platforms, which brings us one step closer to reaching our mission of transforming the lives of 40 million patients in China by 2025," said Merck Managing Director Rogier Janssens. "The healthcare business of Merck in China is committed to developing a multi-dimensional intelligent medical ecosystem together with more cross-industry partners for the benefit of patients."

They will provide digital services aimed at increasing the awareness of allergic diseases and improving the patients' compliance in the field of allergies. The two will promote a disease and treatment program focused on diabetes, thyroid, cardiovascular diseases, and tumors such as metastatic colorectal cancer.

"We want to build on advanced internet platforms and artificial intelligence, big data, and cloud computing capabilities, and work with partners to make healthcare in China more convenient and efficient for all patients," said Tencent Medical Vice-President Zhang Meng.

Merck and Tencent will continue to extend the scope of future cooperation. They will explore innovative medical service models and provide more comprehensive disease science and services for metastatic colorectal cancer and other fields.

Merck inked another cooperation deal with Tencent's archrival Alibaba Group Holding to explore digital medical care last June.