China's Premier Li Qiang Highlights Signet Therapeutics' First-in-Class Gastric Cancer Drug SIGX1094R During Guangdong Inspection

Li Qiang, Member of the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee and Premier of the State Council, conducted a research visit in Guangdong from January 3 to 5. He emphasized that as we enter the new year, it is important to thoroughly implement the spirit of General Secretary Xi Jinping's important speech at the Central Economic Work Conference. Focusing closely on the theme of promoting high-quality development, we must remember our mission in the overall development of China, build on our innovative development advantages, stand at the forefront of reform and opening up, and work tirelessly on all aspects of economic and social development to achieve a good start for the "15th Five-Year Plan." In Shenzhen, Premier Li Qiang listened to reports on the planning and development of the Shenzhen-Hong Kong Science and Technology Innovation Cooperation Zone and learned about the progress of XtalPi (XtalPi Holdings Limited, 2228.HK) in using artificial intelligence to empower research and development in new materials, biomedicine, and other fields.

In the report, XtalPi, as the leading company in the field of AI-driven drug discovery, presented to the Premier its advocated new R&D paradigm of "AI participating in experimental design + robots conducting experiments + experimental data feeding back to AI." The Premier and his entourage visited its AI autonomous laboratory, where they learned about real-time data collection, analysis, and how it serves AI models through presentations delivered in front of large data screens and automated experimental equipment. During the inspection, the Premier paid particular attention to specific achievements empowered by this cutting-edge technological ecosystem. Among them, SIGX1094R, the world's first targeted drug for diffuse gastric cancer independently developed by SIGNET, which has been deeply empowered and incubated by XtalPi’s AI technology, was highlighted as a representative case of transforming "AI + organoids" from technology to product, drawing the Premier’s attention.

Premier Li Qiang holds the product, SIGNET's first-in-class targeted drug SIGX1094R for diffuse gastric cancer.

Figure | Xinhua News Agency (Click on the original article at the end to view the original image)

During his inspection tour, Premier Li Qiang emphasized that "scientific and technological innovation is the key to winning the future" and pointed out that "the life of science and technology lies in application." SIGNET is a firm practitioner of this concept. The company leverages XtalPi's leading "AI-powered drug design" capabilities and combines it with its own globally leading "organoid disease models" to pioneer a world-first "organoid + AI" paradigm for new drug research and development.

SIGNET's SIGX1094R, the world's first targeted drug for diffuse gastric cancer (display sample)

SIGX1094R, the world’s first targeted drug for diffuse gastric cancer to enter clinical trials, is the first achievement born from the "Organoid+AI" new drug discovery platform and also the world’s first FAK/SRC dual-target inhibitor to reach clinical stages. SIGX1094R has successfully obtained IND approvals from both China and the U.S., Orphan Drug Designation (ODD) and Fast Track Designation (FTD) from the U.S. FDA, and was nominated in 2025 for the Galien Award (Prix Galien USA), known as the "Nobel Prize of the pharmaceutical industry." The Phase I clinical trial is currently being led by Professor Lin Shen's team at Peking University Cancer Hospital. The "Organoid+AI" platform that supports the drug’s development, along with subsequent novel target exploration, has recently received national recognition — Signet Therapeutics’ FAK and TEAD inhibitors, as core drugs in the project "Mechanistic Analysis of Refractory Gastric Cancer and Development of Novel Target Small Molecule Drugs," have been approved for inclusion in the National Science and Technology Major Project. This marks the company’s innovative capabilities and R&D standards in the field of refractory gastric cancer gaining high-level national recognition and substantial support.

SIGNET will continue to deepen the "organoid+AI" new drug development platform, accelerate the development of innovative drugs from the source, and contribute fully to overcoming refractory cancers and promoting the high-quality development of China's biopharmaceutical industry.

Signet Therapeutics is a pioneer in the global "organoid + AI"-powered innovative targeted drug R&D model, and is a national high-tech enterprise as well as a specialized and innovative enterprise. The company's founding team consists of top talents from prestigious institutions such as Harvard University, MIT, and the Chinese Academy of Sciences. As first/corresponding authors, they have published over 20 groundbreaking research papers on gastric cancer and esophageal cancer in high-impact journals such as Nature, Nature Medicine, and Cancer Cell, with impact factors exceeding 20, establishing themselves as global leaders in the field of gastric and esophageal cancer research. Since its establishment in Shenzhen at the end of 2020, the company has raised nearly 220 million yuan in financing and project funding, and holds more than 40 core intellectual properties.

The company currently has four first-in-class drug pipelines and one organoid platform in its portfolio. Its core pipeline, SIGX1094R, is the world’s first targeted drug for diffuse gastric cancer. It has successively received IND approval from the U.S. FDA and China's NMPA, and has been granted Orphan Drug Designation (ODD) and Fast Track Designation (FTD) by the U.S. FDA. In August 2025, this drug was nominated for the Galien Award, known as the "Nobel Prize of the pharmaceutical industry." It is currently undergoing Phase I clinical trials at the Peking University Cancer Hospital. This pipeline is also the world’s first drug to be advanced to the clinical stage through an "organoid + AI" technology platform.

Since its establishment at the end of 2020, the company's forward-looking strategic layout of an "Organoid + AI"-powered technology system for innovative targeted cancer drug development has gained international authoritative recognition. It was featured on the homepage of the globally renowned biotech media Fierce Biotech and hailed as the "NEXT Generation paradigm for cancer drug discovery." In April 2025, the U.S. FDA officially issued a statement explicitly supporting the gradual replacement of traditional animal experiments with organoid and AI technologies, fully validating the foresight and scientific rigor of the company’s technical layout from four years prior.