Singapore digital healthcare provider WhiteCoat Global has acknowledged an “isolated case” of manipulation of cancer screening test results at its clinic in Vietnam, by personnel who were “acting without authorisation”.
The case involves one of WhiteCoat Global’s clients, Gene Solutions, with which it had a contract to conduct cancer screening tests. Gene Solutions reported that only one test sample was processed as per the contract and that the test reports were fraudulent.
Upon discovering the falsification of the results, Gene Solutions promptly sent an open letter and a formal notice to WhiteCoat, demanding that their contract be terminated.
In an official response, WhiteCoat stated that “the internal review indicated that the regrettable situation was an isolated incident involving one corporate client… and based on internal findings and witness accounts obtained through legal counsel, the issue was determined to have resulted from the misconduct of personnel acting without authorisation and exploiting the trust of company leadership and its culture of team empowerment. These actions in no way reflect upon WhiteCoat’s partners or partnerships.”
The incident has been reported to the police for investigation and clarification.
WhiteCoat, founded in 2018, is backed by SoftBank Vision Fund. It connects patients with payers and providers to deliver an extensive range of services from primary and specialist to allied care across the region. It has been expanding its operations across Southeast Asia, particularly Indonesia, Vietnam, and Malaysia.
The company had acquired peer Good Doctor Indonesia for an undisclosed amount in October 2024. The merger serves over 6.8 million insured individuals through partnerships with 130 insurers and 7,500 corporate clients.
In 2024, DealStreetAsia reported that WhiteCoat secured new funding with backing from major investors such as Raffles Family Office and SoftBank Vision Fund, following previous fundraising efforts in 2021. The company is also backed by MDI Ventures and others.
Gene Solutions, meanwhile, is a genetic testing firm with offices in Vietnam and Southeast Asia. It has raised funding from Singapore private capital firm August Global Partners (AGP), as part of its plan to bring early cancer detection technology and precision therapeutics to the masses across Asia.
Gene Solutions is looking to raise a further $30-50 million this year, as part of the same round, the company’s founder and CEO Dr Nguyen Hoai Nghia and chief operation officer Nguyen Ngoc Hoa told DealStreetAsia at an event in Singapore held in conjunction with the investment.
Founded in 2017, Gene Solutions specialises in using blood-based DNA tests to screen for tumours. This would be a shift from traditional methods of cancer screening that utilise either imaging, which carries with it radiation risk, or invasive procedures, both of which typically require high-cost, skilled physicians and advanced medical facilities. It also has an artificial intelligence-backed platform to help develop cancer vaccines.
