Galien Foundation Global Chair Hails Signet Therapeutics as a Beacon of China's Biopharmaceutical Innovation

Jul 03, 2026 11:18 CST Updated 11:18

SIGNET

Innovative Targeted Cancer Drug Developer

June 29, 2026“Bay Area Chip Future · Smart Convergence in Futian — Futian District 2026 Frontier Technology Exchange on Organoids and Organ-on-a-Chip”The event was successfully held at the Urban Cloud Lounge of Shenye UpperHills. As one of the first core members of the Futian District Organoid and Organ-on-a-Chip Innovation Alliance, Signet Therapeutics (Shenzhen) Co., Ltd. was invited to attend this prestigious gathering. Sharing the stage with leading domestic and international institutions such as the US Gallen Foundation, the Greater Bay Area Branch of the National Medical Products Administration, China Resources Life Health Research Institute, XtalPi, and Yaosu Technology, the company joined discussions on the future of pharmaceutical innovation in China and the industrialization of organoid technology.

Video Address by the Global Chairman of the Gallen Foundation, Highly Praising SIGNET for Demonstrating China's Innovation Vitality

At the opening ceremony of the conference, Mr. Bruno Cohen, Global Chairman of the Galen Foundation in the United States, delivered a video address. He emphasized that scientific excellence knows no borders, and the ultimate mission of pharmaceutical innovation is to benefit patients worldwide.In his address, Chairman Bruno Cohen extended warm congratulations to SIGNET, highly praising its globally first-in-class diffuse gastric cancer therapy developed via the “organoid + AI” innovative platform for being shortlisted for the 2025 Galien Prize USA in the category of “Best Biotechnology Product.”Product” Nomination.He pointed out that,This breakthrough achievement not only demonstrates the leadership of its technological pathway, but also fully highlights the surging innovation vitality, forward-looking industrial landscape, and research strength on par with the world’s top levels in China’s biopharmaceutical industry.

Bruno Cohen, Global Chairman of the Galen Foundation in the United States, said: “Since its inception, the Galien Awards have remained a premier event where excellence is the ultimate benchmark. We firmly believe that the next groundbreaking, epoch-making breakthrough could emerge from any laboratory, any city, or any continent around the world.Upholding this original aspiration,I hereby congratulate SIGNET on being shortlisted for the 2025 Galen Prize in the United States for Best Biotechnology Product nomination. This first-in-class therapy for diffuse gastric cancer was developed through an innovative platform that combines organoid technology with artificial intelligence. This achievement perfectly demonstrates the innovation vitality, grand vision, and top-tier scientific research strength of China's biopharmaceutical industry.There is a widely circulated aphorism: the best way to predict the future is to create it with your own hands.”

The Galien Award, hailed as the Nobel Prize of the pharmaceutical industry, has bestowed its highest recognition upon Signet Therapeutics through the high praise of the Global Chair of the judging panel. This acknowledgment underscores Signet’s distinction as the only Chinese biotechnology company nominated for the “Best Biotech Product” category in the 2025 US Galien Awards. Signet’s core pipeline candidate, SIGX1094, was shortlisted alongside products from global pharmaceutical giants such as Merck & Co., AstraZeneca, Johnson & Johnson, and Pfizer, marking the ascent of China’s original innovations to the highest international standards.

Deeply engaged in three key segments: Roundtable Dialogue, Thematic Presentations, and Alliance Co-building

At this event, SIGNET comprehensively showcased its latest achievements and global strategic layout in the field of innovative targeted drug development empowered by “organoids + AI”:

Roundtable Discussion: The Path to Global Breakthrough for China’s Innovative Drugs

Dr. Zhang Haisheng was invited to participate in a high-level roundtable dialogue themed “The Globalization Path of China’s Pharmaceutical Innovation,” joining Mr. Daniel Vial, Chairman of the Galen Foundation China; Mr. Arnaud Favry (Wang Peng), Vice President of Public and Government Affairs at bioMérieux, France; and Mr. Lin Yao, Vice Chairman of the Galen Foundation China, to discuss the competitive opportunities and challenges facing Chinese innovative drugs on the global stage.

Roundtable Dialogue: The Globalization Path of China’s Pharmaceutical Innovation

Dr. Zhang Haisheng pointed out, “The globalization of innovative drugs from China hinges on the capability to discover novel targets at the source and the predictive accuracy of preclinical models. Leveraging its ‘organoid + AI’ platform, SIGNET can more precisely screen candidate drugs, which is key to the company’s rapid advancement of global clinical development. The ‘organoid + AI’ approach represents a paradigm shift in traditional drug development, enhancing both precision and breadth.”

Topic Sharing: Innovative Targeted Drug Development Based on Organoids + AI

During the keynote session, Dr. Zhang Haisheng presented a special topic titled “Innovative Targeted Drug Development Based on Organoids + AI.” He systematically introduced the company’s breakthrough progress and advantages in novel target discovery, candidate drug screening, and preclinical evaluation by leveraging organoid disease models combined with artificial intelligence algorithms. This approach aligns precisely with what Chairman Bruno Cohen highly praised as “an innovative platform integrating organoid technology with artificial intelligence.” Dr. Zhang further elaborated on how this platform technology was utilized for organoid-based phenotypic screening to develop the world’s first dual FAK/SRC inhibitor.

Keynote Address by the Founder and CEO of SIGNET

Alliance Co-construction: Rooted in Futian, Co-building an Innovative Ecosystem for the Organoid Industry

During the highlight ceremony of the event, the Futian District Organoid and Organ-on-a-Chip Innovation Alliance was officially established, with a plaque-awarding ceremony held. As one of the inaugural core member units, SIGNET, together with partners including XtalPi, China Resources Life Health Research Institute, Yaosu Technology, and the International Headquarters of the National Technology Innovation Center for the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area, jointly received the plaques.

Inauguration and Plaque Awarding Ceremony for the Futian District Organoid and Organ-on-a-Chip Innovation Alliance

About SIGNET

SIGNET is a pioneer in the global “organoid + AI”-enabled innovative model for targeted drug R&D, recognized as a National High-Tech Enterprise and a Specialized, Refined, Differential, and Innovative (SRDI) Enterprise. Its founding team comprises top talents from prestigious institutions such as Harvard University, MIT, and the Chinese Academy of Sciences. As first or corresponding authors, they have published over 20 groundbreaking research papers in high-impact journals (impact factor >20), including Nature, Nature Medicine, and Cancer Cell, focusing on tumors such as gastric and esophageal cancers, establishing SIGNET as a global leader in gastric and esophageal cancer research. Since establishing its presence in Shenzhen in late 2020, the company has secured nearly RMB 300 million in financing and project grants, and holds more than 40 core intellectual property rights.

SIGNET currently maintains a portfolio of multiple first-in-class drug pipelines and an organoid service platform. Its core pipeline, SIGX1094, the world’s first targeted therapy for diffuse gastric cancer, has received Investigational New Drug (IND) approvals from both the U.S. FDA and China’s NMPA, as well as Orphan Drug Designation (ODD) and Fast Track Designation (FTD) from the U.S. FDA. In August 2025, SIGX1094 was nominated for the Galien Prize, often referred to as the “Nobel Prize of the pharmaceutical industry.” It is currently undergoing Phase I clinical trials at Peking University Cancer Hospital and is poised to initiate Phase II trials. Notably, this pipeline represents the first globally to advance to the clinical stage via an “organoid + AI” technology platform. The second drug pipeline, SIGX2649, is a pan-TEAD inhibitor targeting key downstream effectors of the Hippo signaling pathway. With no marketed drugs currently available for this target, SIGX2649 has already obtained IND approval from the U.S. FDA. In addition to supporting its internal drug pipelines, SIGNET’s organoid service platform actively empowers major pharmaceutical companies in their new drug R&D efforts. Collaborative partners include Shenzhen Second People’s Hospital, The University of Hong Kong, The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology, Shenzhen Borui Medicine, and Zhen Shi Biology, among others, collectively accelerating the development of innovative therapies.

Since its inception in late 2020, Signet Therapeutics’ forward-looking strategic layout of the “organoid + AI”-enabled technology platform for innovative cancer targeted drug development has gained international authoritative recognition. It was featured on the homepage of Fierce Biotech, a globally renowned biotechnology media outlet, and hailed as the “NEXT Generation paradigm for cancer drug development.” 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 technological strategy established four years prior.

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