On January 13, Sino Biopharm (1177.HK) announced that it will fully acquire Hangzhou Hygieia Pharmaceuticals Co., Ltd. (hereinafter referred to as "Hygieia"), a domestic innovative drug company in the small interfering RNA (siRNA) field, for a total price of RMB 1.2 billion. Through this acquisition, Sino Biopharm has acquired a leading proprietary technology platform, a diversified product pipeline, and a professional R&D team in the siRNA track, further enriching the Group's pipeline layout in the field of major chronic diseases. 

Theresa Tse
Chairwoman of the Board of Sino Biopharm:

As an innovative pioneer in the small nucleic acid field, Hygieia has successfully built a differentiated delivery technology platform covering multi-tissue targeting and has laid out a rich and high-potential innovative pipeline in key therapeutic areas such as weight loss and metabolism, cardiovascular and cerebrovascular disorders, and the nervous system. Through this strategic acquisition, the Group will comprehensively strengthen its core competitiveness in the small nucleic acid track, open up a new frontier in the global trillion-dollar chronic disease treatment market, and continue to bring benefits to patients worldwide. At the same time, this acquisition will form a deep synergy and complementarity with the Group's mature experience in clinical development and commercial expansion, injecting strong momentum into the Group's high-quality sustainable growth and creating long-term, stable value for shareholders. 

Cui Kunyuan
Founder and Chief Scientist of Hygieia:

The entire team and I are very pleased to join Sino Biopharm. Hygieia has demonstrated international innovation potential in chronic disease fields such as cardiovascular and cerebrovascular disorders, and metabolism. I look forward to working together to advance the drug R&D process, benefiting the vast number of patients with chronic diseases and accelerating the construction of a new paradigm for chronic disease treatment. At the same time, in the R&D progress of extra-hepatic platforms such as nerve and fat, we can also rely on the comprehensive resource support of Sino Biopharm to further extend the technological advantages of small nucleic acids to more unmet disease areas and benefit more potential patients. 

Leading the Next-Generation Technology Platform, an "Industry Dark Horse" Emerges in Small Nucleic Acid Field

Founded in 2018, Hygieia is a pioneering biopharmaceutical company focused on the R&D of innovative siRNA drugs. The R&D team led by Dr. Cui Kunyuan has over 20 years of professional experience in small nucleic acid drug development, has secured more than 50 core patents, and has built an integrated innovative drug development system from target discovery to clinical proof-of-concept (POC). With its 6 major intra-/extra-hepatic delivery platforms, Hygieia's delivery efficiency and product potential are significantly ahead of the industry level, and it is considered an "industry dark horse" in the domestic small nucleic acid field. 

· MVIP Liver-Targeting Platform: The world's first and currently only siRNA delivery technology platform clinically validated to achieve "once-yearly" dosing. In both in vitro and in vivo models, it has demonstrated superior delivery efficiency and effectiveness compared to existing similar platforms. It is the first domestic siRNA delivery technology platform to receive global patent authorization, and its high efficiency, safety, and long-acting nature have been validated in multiple clinical pipelines. 

· DDP Dual-Target Delivery Platform: Can simultaneously deliver dual-target siRNAs, achieving a synergistic therapeutic effect of "1+1>2". In the future, it can be combined with different tissue-targeting platforms to develop treatments for complex or refractory diseases mediated by multiple targets and mechanisms, possessing significant technological disruption potential. 

· NSDP Nerve-Targeting Platform: Prospectively lays out delivery in the field of nervous system diseases, filling the unmet clinical needs for the CNS (central nervous system) and PNS (peripheral nervous system). Products will begin entering the clinical stage starting in 2026, helping to expand the pipeline to a broader range of disease areas. 
These core platforms have a potential value of tens of billions of dollars and will drive more products into the clinical stage in 2026-2027. Currently, Hygieia has 4 products in the clinical stage and over 20 projects in the preclinical stage, and has reached 2 out-licensing agreements. Its R&D pipeline covers the three major chronic disease areas of weight loss and metabolism, cardiovascular and cerebrovascular disorders, and the nervous system, all with First-in-class and Best-in-class potential. 

World's First! Once-Yearly "Lipid-Lowering" Drug Accelerates Commercialization

Chronic diseases have become the primary threat to global public health, but existing therapies generally have systemic shortcomings such as limited efficacy, safety risks, and poor patient compliance, leaving a huge unmet clinical need. Small nucleic acid technology, with its advantages of directly targeting "undruggable" targets and long-acting effects, is expected to address the pain points of traditional treatment models for chronic diseases, significantly improve patient convenience and compliance, and enhance overall clinical benefits. 
In the field of cardiovascular and cerebrovascular disorders, nearly 20% of the global population has elevated Lp(a) levels. As an independent risk factor for atherosclerotic thrombotic cardiovascular disease, elevated Lp(a) is primarily determined by genetic factors^[1,2]. It not only significantly increases the risk of cardiovascular events but is also closely associated with stroke and aortic valve stenosis^[3,4]. Currently, no drug has been approved for marketing globally for the treatment of high Lp(a) levels. 

Kylo-11, independently developed by Hygieia based on the MVIP delivery platform, is the world's first Lp(a)-lowering drug to achieve "once-yearly" long-acting efficacy. A single subcutaneous injection can achieve a 95% reduction in Lp(a), with the therapeutic effect expected to last for more than a year. The dose is much lower than similar products, offering higher safety, greater convenience, and Best-in-class potential. Kylo-11 is undergoing a Phase 2 international multi-center clinical trial in China and the US, with the first patient dosed in October 2025. It is the fastest-progressing small nucleic acid product in China for the treatment of high Lp(a) levels. 

Synergistic and Complementary R&D Pipelines Create New Growth Poles in the Chronic Disease Market

Sino Biopharm already has a rich layout in areas such as respiratory, hepatology/metabolism, and autoimmune diseases. Through this acquisition, it not only completes the construction of a next-generation innovative pipeline in the cardiovascular and cerebrovascular field, but also further enhances its layout in the weight loss and metabolism field, broadening the Group's therapeutic landscape in the major chronic disease area. 

In addition to Kylo-11, Hygieia's projects that have entered the clinical stage also include: APOC3 siRNA (Kylo-12) for the treatment of hypertriglyceridaemia (HTG) and familial chylomicronaemia syndrome (FCS); the world's first THR-β small molecule agonist (Kylo-0603) that achieves differential liver targeting through GalNAc conjugation, etc. 

Sino Biopharm's acquisition of Hygieia is not only the first major M&A initiated by a large pharmaceutical company in the domestic small nucleic acid field but also a deepening of the Group's strategic layout of global innovative assets, following the acquisition of LaNova Medicines. 

On one hand, leveraging the strong clinical development and commercialization capabilities of its subsidiary Chia Tai Tianqing, Sino Biopharm will inject new momentum into the development of small nucleic acid drug pipeline of Hygieia, promoting the rapid realization of its clinical and commercial value. On the other hand, Hygieia's leading technology in the small nucleic acid field will also form a strong synergy and complementarity with the existing R&D pipelines of Chia Tai Tianqing and LaNova Medicines, helping the Group to develop more innovative therapies and accelerate the realization of its international development potential. 

References:

[1] Family Heart Foundation. Lipoprotein(a) - Family Heart Foundation.Last accessed Feb. 20, 2025.

[2] J Am Coll Cardiol.2018 Jan 16;71(2):177-192.

[3] Int J Cardiol Heart Vasc.2024 Oct 30;55:101543.

[4] NIH National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute.Research Feature – Lipoprotein(a): What to know about elevated levels.Access here: https://www.nhlbi.nih.gov/news/2024/lipoproteina-what-know-about-elevated-levels.Last accessed Feb. 20, 2025

Disclaimer:

1. This press release is intended to facilitate the communication and exchange of medical information and is for reference by healthcare professionals only. It is not for advertising purposes.

2.The company does not recommend any drugs and/or indications.

3.The information contained in this press release is for reference only and cannot replace professional medical guidance in any way, nor should it be considered as a diagnosis or treatment recommendation. If you wish to understand specific information about disease diagnosis and treatment, please follow the advice or guidance of a doctor or other healthcare professional. 

Forward-Looking Statements:

This press release contains certain forward-looking statements, including statements regarding the clinical development plan, expectations of clinical benefits and advantages, commercialization outlook, the likelihood of clinical benefit for patients, and potential commercial opportunities for [Kylo-11, Kylo-12, Kylo-0603]. Words such as "expect", "believe", "continue", "may", "estimate", "hope", "intend", "plan", "potential", "predict", "project", "should", "will", "propose", and similar expressions are intended to identify forward-looking statements, but not all forward-looking statements contain these identifying words. These forward-looking statements are predictions or expectations made by the company based on currently available data and information, and actual results may differ materially from these forward-looking statements due to uncertainties or risks such as policy, R&D, market, and regulatory factors. Current or potential investors are advised to carefully consider the potential risks and should not place undue reliance on the forward-looking statements in this press release, which contain information only as of the date of this press release. Unless required by law, the company undertakes no obligation to update or revise any forward-looking statements in this press release as a result of new information, future events, or other circumstances. 

Source: Announcement published by Sino Biopharmaceutical Limited on the Hong Kong Stock Exchange