A Hong Kong Science and Technology Parks Corporation (HKSTP) recently announced that one of its partner companies officially listed and commenced trading on the Main Board of The Stock Exchange of Hong Kong Limited.
The partner company is a Hong Kong-based biopharmaceutical company dedicated to the research, development, manufacturing and commercialisation of therapeutics for the treatment of immunological diseases, primarily mAb-based biologics.
The company is one of a few select biopharmaceutical companies in the Greater China Region that has a full-fledged capability. It has built a platform with an industry chain allocation to standardise and systemically monitor its R&D, clinical trials and manufacturing process.
This comprehensive platform integrates all-industry functionalities, including target identification, drug candidate development, pre-clinical research, clinical trials, clinical production, quality control and quality assurance, regulatory approval and commercial-scale production up to the commercialisation stage.
The Executive Director, Chairman of the Board and Chief Executive Officer of the company stated at the listing ceremony, that the firm is profoundly honoured to be the first local Hong Kong-based biopharmaceutical company listed on the Main Board of SEHK.
The company officially entered the Hong Kong stock market and tapped into the international capital market, marking an important milestone in the development of the Company’s development history.
Looking ahead, the aim is to expeditiously promote the commercialisation of SM03, further expand the pipeline of drugs candidates, continue discovering and developing novel drugs for the treatment of immunological diseases by leveraging its R&D capabilities, expand production scale and strengthen global businesses, striving to contribute to global and Chinese biomedical innovation.
The CEO of HKSTP stated that HKSTP is proud of the firm’s new chapter to its public listing. The company represents a shining example for other biomedical companies in the ecosystem that substantial value and prosperity could be added to their businesses through continuous research and development.
The company’s team was congratulated for their successful listing and it is hoped that this new position will give birth to more novel products and technologies.
HKSTP strives to nurture biomedical start-ups by providing them with the best environment and support, as well as connecting them with market and investment opportunities.
The Park is working to see more of its homegrown biomedical companies achieve the success that the company has achieved.
As of 22 October 2019, the biopharmaceutical company has built up a product pipeline consisting of six drug candidates, including a portfolio of first-in-target and first-in-class drug candidates.
The most near-commercialisation candidate SM03 is clinically proven, first-in-target anti-CD22 mAb for the treatment of RA and potentially other immunological diseases. SM03 is currently in Phase III clinical trial for RA in China, and patient enrolment is aimed to be completed by the end of 2019.
Biomedical technology is one of HKSTP’s technology focus areas, with Hong Kong Science Park currently hosting more than 120 biotechnology companies who work in speciality areas such as medical devices, molecular diagnoses, stem cell therapy, regenerative medicine, Chinese herbal medicine and advanced therapeutics.
The Park offers a range of incubation and acceleration services, such as the Incu-Bio programme, a four-year all-around programme in support of the growth of biomedical start-ups, funding and investment, and a host of support services such as well-equipped shared laboratories and market development services.