Ningkang Ruizhu Completes Tens of Millions RMB Pre-A Financing Round Led by Sunshine Ronghui Capital, with Riemann Hypothesis as Exclusive Financial Advisor

Recently, Ningkang Ruizhu Biopharmaceutical (Zhuhai) Co., Ltd. (“Ningkang Ruizhu” or the “Company”) announced the completion of its Pre-A financing round, raising tens of millions of RMB. The round was led by RHC, with Riemann Hypothesis serving as the exclusive financial advisor. The proceeds will be primarily used for platform construction and to advance the development of its existing product pipeline.

REZUBIO was founded by a team of senior scientists from Merck & Co., Inc. (MSD), dedicated to the development of first-in-class, tissue-selective novel drugs to enhance therapeutic efficacy and safety. Over the past three years, through continuous exploration, the company has developed a proprietary gut-restricted drug design platform. Leveraging this platform, REZUBIO has identified multiple compounds targeting intestinal pathways, addressing a range of unmet clinical needs in indications including metabolic diseases, inflammatory and immune disorders, and neurodegenerative diseases of the central nervous system. As the compounds designed via this platform primarily act on local tissues or organs, they avoid systemic exposure and associated toxicities, thereby delivering differentiated clinical advantages.

Many GPCR drug targets have different subtypes, are widely distributed across various organs, and mediate distinct signaling pathways and functions. It is challenging to achieve precise targeting of such receptors and avoid systemic toxicity using traditional small-molecule design approaches. REZUBIO’s design platform addresses the issue of off-target toxicity caused by lack of target specificity and systemic exposure, overcomes the limitations of conventional drug design, and revitalizes many previously undruggable targets by addressing key pain points for different indications. This platform can be extended to a broad range of GPCR targets and indications, particularly those that have demonstrated proof-of-concept efficacy but were discontinued due to adverse effects. This innovative drug development platform offers a fast and effective “shortcut” to reduce R&D risk and cost while improving the success rate of first-in-class new drug development. The company’s technology platform has demonstrated significant advantages in reducing toxicity, enhancing efficacy, lowering R&D risk and cost, and increasing the likelihood of successful development, which have been highly recognized by the investment community. REZUBIO has successfully completed its Pre-A financing round with high efficiency.

The company’s founders are scientists with extensive frontline R&D experience in the international pharmaceutical industry. Dr. Yusheng Xiong received his bachelor’s degree from Wuhan University. In the early years of China’s Reform and Opening-up, he was selected as one of the first cohort of students in the China-United States Chemistry Graduate Program (CGP) to pursue advanced studies in the United States. He earned his Ph.D. in Organic Chemistry from the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA), and subsequently conducted postdoctoral research at the University of Chicago. Dr. Xiong spent over two decades at Merck & Co., Inc., engaged in medicinal chemistry and new drug discovery. He led multiple new drug development projects and served as a scientific advisor on behalf of Merck, guiding new drug development efforts at several biotechnology companies. Under Dr. Xiong’s leadership, multiple global first-in-class new drug projects have entered Phase II clinical trials. Among them, a cardiovascular project pioneered a novel mechanism of action, which has since been expanded to other targets and therapeutic areas, showing promise to surpass existing blockbuster products in terms of efficacy and clinical differentiation.Dr. Hongping Guan received his bachelor’s degree from Beijing Medical University (now Peking University Health Science Center). He earned his Ph.D. in Pharmacology from the University of Pennsylvania and conducted postdoctoral research at the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center under the mentorship of a Nobel Laureate. During his tenure at Merck & Co., Inc., where he focused on mechanistic studies of new targets and new drug development, Dr. Guan led multiple projects and spearheaded collaborative initiatives with biotechnology companies on behalf of Merck.Both founders have dedicated decades to their respective professional fields and have published significant articles in top-tier international journals such as *Science*, *Nature Medicine*, and *Cell Metabolism*. While at Merck, Dr. Yusheng Xiong served as Head of Medicinal Chemistry, and Dr. Hongping Guan served as Head of Biology. Together, they co-led multiple new drug development projects. Their long-standing and seamless collaboration laid the foundation for the establishment and robust growth of REZUBIO.The founding team of REZUBIO possesses the innovative DNA of multinational pharmaceutical companies, having worked on the frontline of new drug development for many years. From its inception, the company positioned its R&D model around “disruptive innovation.” This corporate structure and unique vision attracted significant attention from investors based solely on the strength of the team. Furthermore, after more than three years of exploration and accumulation, the development of a proprietary novel drug design platform has further strengthened investor confidence in the company’s future.

Dr. Xiong Yusheng, Founder and CEO of REZUBIOHe stated, “We are deeply grateful for the sustained efforts of our company’s strong and professional founding team, as well as the steadfast support and trust from our investors. During the challenging times of the past few years, such perseverance and confidence have been particularly crucial. Since its inception, our company has maintained a low profile, dedicated itself to R&D, and focused on innovation. The successful completion of this financing round serves as a full endorsement of REZUBIO’s technical platform potential, operational capabilities, and team execution. At this critical juncture when China’s biopharmaceutical sector is transitioning toward ‘innovation as the core value,’ the company will continue to uphold an open and inclusive attitude. Guided by clinical needs and industry pain points, we will consistently launch products with genuine clinical differentiation. By fully leveraging our proprietary technology platforms, we aim to address the challenges faced by physicians and patients, develop safe and efficient new drugs, and realize our corporate vision of providing medications that are ‘safe, effective, high-quality, and affordable,’ striving to become the world’s most innovative targeted therapy enterprise.”

RHCstated: “We are delighted to lead the Pre-A financing round of REZUBIO. Compared with traditional drug design approaches, the company’s proprietary gut-restricted GPCR platform technology addresses the industry-wide challenge of systemic toxicity and side effects associated with systemic administration, significantly enhancing safety and druggability. It offers revolutionary advantages, particularly in the field of common diseases, and is poised to reshape the landscape of tissue-restricted drug delivery. The founding team boasts profound technical expertise and extensive industry resources, coupled with rich experience in managing large-scale industrial production. We are firmly confident in REZUBIO’s sustained rapid growth and look forward to the early market launch of its products to benefit patients worldwide.”

Dr. Li Chaoxing, Chairman of Riemann Hypothesis, as the exclusive financial advisor for this round of financing“The capital market has undergone significant consolidation over the past few years, leading China’s investment community to place great emphasis on the core value of biopharmaceutical companies: innovation. In my view, REZUBIO is a pioneer among today’s startup biotech firms in practicing independent innovation, while also standing out as a striking ‘outlier.’ Its founders, Dr. Xiong Yusheng and Dr. Guan Hongping, bring extensive backgrounds in medicinal chemistry and biology, respectively, and have long led new drug development at major international pharmaceutical companies. After establishing REZUBIO, they charted a distinct course, steadily developing a globally first-in-class gut-restricted drug design platform targeting GPCRs. Over the three years since its inception, the company has advanced its R&D pipeline with remarkable efficiency, leaving a strong impression with its ‘small but beautiful’ model. These attributes have enabled REZUBIO to distinguish itself amid a mixed landscape of startups. We believe that the unique technological advantages of REZUBIO’s platform, combined with the team’s rich R&D experience, will sustain the company’s competitive edge in the industry going forward.”

RHC was established in January 2015 as one of the first private equity fund management companies in China’s insurance industry to be initiated with insurance capital, with assets under management exceeding RMB 30 billion. Since its inception, RHC has been built according to market-oriented and professional standards, operating with an institutional mindset to comprehensively enhance its platform, investment, and risk control capabilities, thereby establishing a holistic platform for fundraising, investment, management, and exit. The company focuses on the healthcare and emerging technology sectors, targeting critical “chokepoint” niche industries and investing in “specialized, refined, distinctive, and innovative” enterprises that possess high levels of technological innovation and address key supply chain gaps. Its portfolio includes over 90 outstanding companies such as Mindray Medical, Sirnaomics, and Moore Threads, delivering strong investment returns for its investors.

Riemann Hypothesis, founded in 2018 by Dr. Li Chaoxing upon his return to China from the United States, is an integrated platform for “institutionalized” industrial innovation focused on early-stage life sciences. Upholding its original mission to collaborate with scientist-entrepreneurs who possess global vision, profound insights, and ambitious aspirations, Riemann Hypothesis is dedicated to providing early-stage investment and “full-service” operational incubation for original and pioneering biomedical projects worldwide. It has fully established its own independent “institutionalized” incubation system, thereby breaking through the limitations of traditional technology transfer, venture capital investment, and boutique investment banking.