Chongqing Huasen Pharmaceutical Joins Forces with Sichuan University's Changjiang Scholar Professor Yang Shengyong to Advance Innovative Drug Development in the Chengdu-Chongqing Economic Circle

According to VCBeat, in response to and to promote the major strategic deployment by the CPC Central Committee on building the Chengdu-Chongqing Twin City Economic Circle and establishing an important growth pole for high-quality development in western China, Chongqing Pharscin Pharma Co., Ltd. signed an Investment Agreement on Jointly Establishing an Innovative Drug R&D Company with Professor Yang Shengyong, a professor at the State Key Laboratory of Biotherapy of Sichuan University and a Distinguished Professor under the “Changjiang Scholars Reward Program,” on June 12, 2020. The two parties plan to jointly invest in the development of Class 1 innovative drugs for oncology and immunology, contributing to the development of the biotech high-tech industry in the Sichuan-Chongqing region and helping to tackle major diseases that affect public health.

Both parties attached great importance to this signing ceremony. Attendees from the company included Chairman You Hongtao; Deputy General Manager and Chief Scientific Officer Yuxun Wang; Deputy General Manager and Board Secretary You Xuedan; Shi Jinping, Deputy Dean of the Drug Research Institute; Li Xing, BD Director; and Ou Yunguo, Formulation Director. Professor Yang Shengyong from the State Key Laboratory of Biotherapy at Sichuan University, a Distinguished Professor under the “Chang Jiang Scholars Program,” also attended the ceremony. The event was witnessed by distinguished guests including Academician Wei Yuquan of the Chinese Academy of Sciences; Li Weimin, President of West China Hospital of Sichuan University; Zeng Ke, Member of the Working Committee of the Chengdu High-tech Industrial Development Zone and Head of its Party and Mass Work Department; Deng Hui, Deputy Director of the Bureau of Biological Industry Development; Wang Xiaoning, Division Chief; Ran Qiping, Division Chief of the Party and Mass Work Department; and Wan Xiang, Deputy General Manager of Chengdu Hi-Tech Investment Group’s Life Science Park Co., Ltd.

Professor Yang Shengyong is a renowned scholar in the field of small-molecule targeted drug research in China. He is a Distinguished Professor under the “Changjiang Scholars Program,” a recipient of the National Science Fund for Distinguished Young Scholars, a national-level candidate of the “Hundred, Thousand, and Ten Thousand Talents Project,” and the leader of an Innovation Team supported by the Ministry of Education. His research primarily focuses on drug molecule design methods, lead compound optimization, and the design, synthesis, and development of targeted drugs. To date, he has published more than 300 SCI papers in top-tier or prominent journals in the field. He has filed over 80 patent applications, with more than 30 patents granted, including 12 international patents. Six candidate new drugs developed by his team have been licensed to major domestic pharmaceutical companies, two of which have entered clinical trials.

Professor Yang Shengyong has been affiliated with the State Key Laboratory of Biotherapy at Sichuan University since 2005. The laboratory is strategically positioned to foster interdisciplinary integration across modern biotechnology, clinical medicine, immunology, pharmacology, nanobiotechnology, chemistry, and materials science. It is dedicated to basic research, applied basic research, and the development of key technologies and products for the biotherapy of major human diseases, with the aim of establishing a domestically leading and internationally renowned biotherapy laboratory to advance the development of pharmaceutical biotechnology.

Currently, the State Key Laboratory of Biotherapy has established a series of key technological platforms spanning gene discovery, drug development, and clinical treatment. It has also built GMP pilot-scale production workshops for biotechnological and natural medicines, the National Preclinical Evaluation Center for New Drugs, and the National Clinical Trial Base for New Drugs (Biotherapy). The laboratory has formed five major research directions: “Biotherapy Research for Major Diseases such as Tumors and Infectious Diseases,” “Functional Genomics and Proteomics Research,” “Stem Cell and Tissue Engineering Research,” “Chemical Biology/Chemical Genomics and Nanobiotechnology Research,” and “Preclinical Evaluation and Clinical Trials of New Drugs (Biotherapy).”

The two parties will jointly invest RMB 45.2 million to establish “Chengdu Aorui Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd.” (provisional name), focusing on the development of Class 1 innovative drugs in oncology and immunology, with the initial project being [R&D of Innovative Small-Molecule Inhibitors Targeting Cellular Necroptosis]. PHARSCIN PHARMA will hold a 37.70% equity stake in the joint venture. Through this investment, PHARSCIN PHARMA will secure priority cooperation rights for the joint venture’s R&D projects.

Necroptosis is a recently identified form of regulated cell death that is controlled by death signals and exhibits morphological features characteristic of necrosis. It is actively regulated by multiple genes, including those encoding tumor necrosis factor receptors (TNFRs) and pattern recognition receptors (PRRs), and proceeds through the activation of specific death signaling pathways to achieve an ordered and systematic demise. Meanwhile, it displays the typical morphological characteristics, subcellular alterations, and loss of metabolic function associated with conventional cellular necrosis. Necroptosis plays a significant role in the pathogenesis of various inflammatory conditions and malignant tumors. Consequently, it represents a promising therapeutic target for the treatment of many immune-mediated inflammatory diseases and cancers. Innovative drug development targeting necroptosis is currently at the forefront of international research.

PHARSCIN PHARMA has always attached great importance to R&D innovation. Since its listing, the company has continuously increased its R&D investment, with R&D expenses in 2019 rising by 63.96% compared to the previous year. In 2018, it formally prioritized innovative drug development in its strategic plan, thereby ushering in a new era of combining generic and innovative drug development.

On one hand, the Company has continuously strengthened its internal R&D capabilities. In March 2020, it appointed Dr. Yuxun Wang as Chief Scientific Officer to focus on building and enhancing its internal infrastructure for innovative drug development, talent pipeline, and R&D system. On the other hand, the Company closely monitors external collaboration opportunities. In 2019, it established Pharscin US Inc. in the United States to identify potential partnership targets in the frontier of innovative drugs in Europe and the United States.

This collaboration with Professor Yang Shengyong’s team at Sichuan University represents a valuable opportunity to respond to and advance the major strategic deployment by the CPC Central Committee regarding the development of the Chengdu-Chongqing Twin City Economic Circle.

This collaboration will further advance PHARSCIN PHARMA’s innovative drug R&D efforts into specific project phases. The joint venture will commence with an innovative drug development project focused on small-molecule inhibitors targeting cellular necroptosis. Over a period of three to five years, it aims to establish a research and development pipeline comprising at least two projects at the Investigational New Drug (IND) stage and three projects at the Preclinical Candidate Compound (PCC) stage, centered around internationally frontier targets. Meanwhile, Professor Yang Shengyong’s team brings profound academic expertise in small-molecule targeted therapies, serving as a strong complement to the company’s capabilities in innovative drug development. Synergies will be created between PHARSCIN PHARMA and the joint venture in their collaborative R&D efforts, thereby further solidifying the company’s strategy for innovative drug development.