Zhongyan Chuangke Files Prospectus: Exclusive Soothing Patent Translation Focused on Long-Term Efficacious Skincare for Autoimmune and Systemic Inflammatory Skin Conditions
Atopic Dermatitis (AD) is a chronic, relapsing, inflammatory skin disease. As patients often present with comorbid atopic conditions such as allergic rhinitis and asthma, it is considered a systemic disorder. Patients with AD frequently experience intense pruritus, which significantly impairs their quality of life.
The global prevalence of atopic dermatitis varies significantly. In developed countries, the prevalence among children ranges from 10% to 20%. China has also witnessed an upward trend in the prevalence of atopic dermatitis. The prevalence among children aged 1–7 years in ten Chinese cities was 2.78% in 2002, rising to 12.94% in twelve cities in 2014. Notably, the prevalence among infants aged 1–12 months reached 30.48%, a figure comparable to that reported in developed countries.
The goals of treating atopic dermatitis are to alleviate or eliminate clinical symptoms, remove triggering and/or exacerbating factors, reduce and prevent recurrences, minimize or mitigate comorbidities, and improve patients’ quality of life. First-line treatments include topical corticosteroids, topical calcineurin inhibitors (TCIs) (such as tacrolimus), oral antihistamines, immunosuppressants, and biologics. As atopic dermatitis is a chronic, relapsing condition, comprehensive disease management throughout its course, in addition to pharmacological therapy, helps patients achieve long-term symptom control and reduce recurrences.
There is a supply-demand gap in the care of inflammatory skin conditions caused by immune or systemic diseases, including atopic dermatitis, psoriasis, post-oncology treatment sequelae, diabetes, thyroid disorders, uremia, and chronic kidney disease.Beyond pharmacological needs during acute flares, long-term systemic management requires products that can alleviate cutaneous symptoms and reduce drug dependence. However, existing soothing skincare products in the market are primarily formulated for normal skin or merely meet basic requirements for stratum corneum barrier protection. The lack of targeted solutions fails to adequately address patients’ specific care needs.
In response, Beijing Zhongyan Chuangke Medical Technology Co., Ltd. (hereinafter referred to as “Zhongyan Chuangke”) has launched Yikexin, a functional skincare brand for problematic skin conditions, leveraging multiple research and development achievements with problematic skin as its R&D model.
“Over more than a decade of experience in healthcare institution operations, I have engaged in extensive exchanges with clinicians. A consensus we share is that the prevailing trend in China’s pharmaceutical market is currently focused on disease treatment and safeguarding patients’ right to life. However, with societal progress, rising living standards, and evolving public needs, there are growing demands beyond the right to life, encompassing expectations for quality of survival and overall quality of life,” said Ren Weiheng from Beijing Zhongyan Chuangke Medical Technology Co., Ltd. in an interview with VCBeat.
After leaving the medical institution, Ren Weiheng embarked on a career as a technology transfer professional in the healthcare sector. He has served as a judge for the Top 100 International Technology Trade Innovations List at the Zhongguancun Forum and for the China Overseas Talent Innovation and Entrepreneurship Competition. As a technology transfer professional, he facilitates the commercialization of scientific and technological achievements—a process actively promoted by the state—by brokering transactions between cutting-edge innovations from research institutes and clinical hospitals and enterprises, or by incubating innovative startups.
“During this process, we have observed a disconnect between cutting-edge research, advanced concepts, and their technological translation. Meanwhile, the translation of high-end, sophisticated technologies often faces challenges such as prolonged cycles, policy risks, and investment risks. This is what we commonly refer to as the ‘Valley of Death’ in scientific and technological translation.”
In 2015, Ren Weiheng founded Beijing Zhongyan Chuangke Medical Technology Co., Ltd., focusing on the translation of scientific research achievements and the application of commercial technologies in the field of biomedicine. Anchored by multidisciplinary talents in biology, pharmacy, clinical medicine, and industrial engineering, the company has assembled a diverse, innovative, efficient, and rigorous scientific research team. It has also established collaborations with numerous research institutions and experts to translate scientific achievements into practical solutions.
“Helping promising technologies cross the ‘Valley of Death,’ facilitating clinical application, addressing unmet needs, and improving patients’ quality of life is the original mission of Zhongyan Chuangke.”Ren Weiheng stated, “The team at Beijing Zhongyan Chuangke Medical Technology Co., Ltd. leverages its advantages in clinical practice and translational medicine, placing greater emphasis on market validation of actual product efficacy. By establishing collaborations with leading research teams and integrating clinical, market, and policy perspectives, the company transforms advanced technologies into practical, implementable applications.”
Guided by this strategic positioning, Beijing Zhongyan Chuangke Medical Technology Co., Ltd.’s in-house team focuses on validation, formulation engineering, and market promotion. The company has established a multi-chain R&D validation system that compares clinical needs with cutting-edge scientific achievements and leverages favorable policies to rapidly identify products with significant market potential. “A clear positioning and commercialization pathway can enhance clinical promotion effectiveness after product launch, enabling faster penetration into top-tier markets.”
Furthermore, Beijing Zhongyan Chuangke Medical Technology Co., Ltd. has been incorporated into the incubation system of Shouke MedValley. Relying on the medical science and technology resources of Capital Medical University and its affiliated hospitals, Shouke MedValley is a professional incubation ecosystem centered on medical translation and healthcare technology services, encompassing innovation and entrepreneurship in biomedical and medical device R&D, health management, and elderly care.Anchored by this collaboration, Beijing Zhongyan Chuangke Medical Technology Co., Ltd. is comprehensively advancing pipeline development, clinical validation, and market promotion for the Yikexin brand.
Taking atopic dermatitis as an example, the primary options available to patients and clinicians in the past were therapeutic medications and skincare products. Therapeutic medications require strict adherence to clinical pathways, with implementation constrained by hospital-based distribution, physician orders, and defined treatment cycles; this results in limited drug accessibility and a lack of maintenance therapy options for the stable phase. In contrast, skincare products aimed at repairing the skin barrier are primarily developed based on the skin characteristics of the general population, leading to low specificity and suboptimal clinical efficacy.
Yikexin was developed by a research and development team led by dermatology medical experts with over 30 years of frontline clinical experience, along with pharmaceutical experts and formulation engineers. Using immune-mediated inflammatory skin conditions as the research model, the team worked backward from the pathogenic mechanisms of conditions such as atopic dermatitis and psoriasis to target specific effector cells, resulting in the launch of functional skincare products suitable for long-term patient use.
Yikexin’s proprietary Bioreconcile™ Anminxin™ technology utilizes a high-value microalgae-derived glyceryl glucoside with a 2α configuration, achieved through the advanced bio-manufacturing technologies developed by SCGP. This cutting-edge bio-manufacturing platform was developed over eight years by the Microbial Manufacturing Engineering Center at the Qingdao Institute of Bioenergy and Bioprocess Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences. It enables the co-production of high-value microalgal products and stands at the international forefront.
The “Expert Consensus on the Application of Moisturizing and Emollient Products (2023 Edition)” explicitly states that glyceryl glucoside-based active ingredients can enhance the efficiency of water transport through aquaporins, thereby improving skin hydration. These ingredients promote the synthesis of involucrin, loricrin, and filaggrin, representing a primary mechanism for enhancing product efficacy.
Cytokines such as IL-4, IL-13, TSLP, and TNF-α influence skin barrier function, the development of pruritus (itching), and alterations in the skin microbiome at various stages. Positioned at the apex of multiple inflammatory cascades, TSLP is a key driver of type 2 inflammation; it stimulates sensory nerve endings to induce pruritus and is associated with various allergic inflammatory conditions, chronic inflammation, and autoimmune diseases. TNF-α acts during the upstream initiation phase of inflammatory cascades, where it can induce the production of inflammatory mediators such as cytokines and recruit inflammatory cells.
Clinical observations indicate that soothing effects include alleviation of skin burning sensation, tightness, itching, redness, and improvement in tolerance. Based on empirical evidence, Anminxin™ products achieve soothing efficacy by targeting multiple cytokines across three major dimensions:
Directly acts on multiple key mediators and receptors at C-fiber nerve endings, affecting multiple cytokine pathways
Since July 2023, the Yikexin team has successively launched the Silver Label series, including Shuhu Gel, Shurun Ointment, and Lightweight Moisturizing Body Lotion, as well as the Golden Shield series featuring Shuan Special Care Ointment. These products have obtained quality certification from the Chinese Academy of Inspection and Quarantine.Currently, Beijing Zhongyan Chuangke Medical Technology Co., Ltd. has completed the construction of a Class 100,000 cleanroom workshop, and multiple Yikexin products have been launched in nearly 30 leading Grade A tertiary hospitals.
(Zhongyan Chuangke’s Class 100,000 cleanroom; photo provided by the interviewee)
“As I am myself part of Yikexin’s target audience, I have gained a deep understanding of the psychological distress and daily life challenges faced by patients battling immune-mediated skin conditions. For instance, while many patients can adhere to topical medications and skincare products during acute flares, they often struggle with long-term disease management and maintaining consistent communication with their physicians, leading to disease recurrence,” said Ren Weiheng.Yikexin aims to normalize, popularize, and mainstream the repair of skin affected by immune-inflammatory conditions.
In addition to building a sales network through hospital channels, the Yikexin series products have established distribution channels via OTC pharmacies, partnering with over 1,000 chain pharmacies, including well-known domestic chains such as China Resources, Laobaixing, Dingdang Kuaiyao, Sinopharm, and Jinxiang.In the future, Yikexin will also expand comprehensively through distribution networks, third-party collaborations, and internet channels.
According to the strategic plan of Beijing Zhongyan Chuangke Medical Technology Co., Ltd., the Yikexin brand will develop a digital chronic disease management platform. “We aim to leverage lightweight platforms, such as mini-programs, to create a tool that serves both as a personal skin care manager and a bridge for doctor-patient communication. The platform will issue unified reminder instructions to patients, helping to improve adherence, thereby achieving better long-term management outcomes and enhancing patients’ quality of life.”
In Ren Weiheng’s vision, this digital platform will bridge the gap between doctors and patients. On the patient side, users can log their medication adherence and undergo skin health assessments. The backend records these data using rating scales to support personalized medication regimens. On the clinical side, physicians can monitor patients’ conditions in real time, facilitate follow-up visits, and capture frontline clinical data. “Through this digital platform, online follow-up consultations and customized medication plans are among the viable directions.”
Ren Weiheng introduced that Yikexin’s overall brand architecture will primarily focus on three major areas of skin condition management: systemic chronic diseases, special populations including the elderly and neonates, and adverse reactions following tumor radiotherapy and chemotherapy. Skin care products for chronic wounds and related long-term management studies are currently underway. In addition, Beijing Zhongyan Chuangke Medical Technology Co., Ltd. will continue to expand multidisciplinary applied research and outcome incubation, further intensifying its efforts in translating scientific achievements in the field of dermatology.