HKU and Grand Pharmaceutical Form Strategic Partnership to Develop Novel Anti-Infective Therapies
核心洞察
The University of Hong Kong and Grand Pharmaceutical Group Limited (搜索) have signed a research collaboration agreement to advance innovative drug development through industry-academia integration.
The first collaborative project focuses on developing novel therapeutic solutions with high efficacy and safety profiles to address urgent unmet clinical needs in anti-infective treatments (搜索).
Upon successful completion, Grand Pharmaceutical will take exclusive licensing rights to the resulting intellectual property and handle subsequent development, regulatory approval, and commercialization.
The University of Hong Kong (HKU) and Grand Pharmaceutical Group Limited (搜索) have officially signed a research collaboration agreement, marking a significant milestone in integrating world-class academic research with industrial application to advance innovative drug development. The partnership serves as a model for deep industry-academia-research integration in pharmaceutical innovation.
The research collaboration agreement was formalized by Mr Pierre Wang, Managing Director of HKU Versitech Limited (搜索), and Mr Chao Zhou, Chief Executive Officer of Grand Pharmaceutical, establishing a framework for joint drug discovery efforts.
Focus on Anti-Infective Drug Development
The inaugural collaborative project, termed the Innovative Drug Project, aims to develop novel therapeutic solutions with high efficacy and high safety profiles to address urgent unmet clinical needs in the field of anti-infective (antibacterial) treatments. Under this collaboration, research teams from both institutions will work closely together to develop new preclinical drug candidates.
The partnership structure ensures a clear pathway from discovery to market. Upon successful completion of the project, Grand Pharmaceutical is expected to take an exclusive license to the resulting intellectual property and will be responsible for its subsequent development, regulatory approval, and commercialization. This approach bridges the gap between cutting-edge academic research and real-world patient applications while accelerating the translation of innovative discoveries into tangible medical breakthroughs.
Leadership and Research Expertise
Professor Xuechen Li, Chair of Medicinal Chemistry and Chemical Biology in the Department of Chemistry at HKU, is leading the Innovative Drug Project. Professor Li expressed enthusiasm about the collaboration, stating, "We are very excited to embark on this in-depth collaboration with Grand Pharmaceutical. They possess outstanding vision and capabilities for industrialisation, enabling the translation of our laboratory discoveries into tangible medicines that benefit patients."
Professor Li emphasized the strategic importance of the partnership, noting, "This partnership represents a crucial step in our exploration of a synergistic innovation model between academia and industry. We are confident that the complementary strengths of both parties will greatly accelerate the translation of our research outcomes."
Professor Li's research focuses on the interface of synthetic chemistry, medicinal chemistry, and biology, spanning from innovative synthetic method development to biological studies and drug discovery, with the ultimate aim of developing novel therapeutics. He has pioneered the development of several innovative methods for synthesizing and modifying biomolecules (搜索), including peptides (搜索), proteins (搜索) and glycans. These advancements open new avenues for studying the biology and medicinal chemistry of biomolecules and provide greater possibilities for developing biologics with new functional activities.
Industry Perspective and Commercialization Strategy
Mr Chao Zhou, Chief Executive Officer of Grand Pharmaceutical, highlighted the strategic value of the partnership from an industry perspective. "We are delighted to establish this strategic partnership with The University of Hong Kong, a world-leading academic institution," Zhou stated. "This collaboration perfectly combines HKU's profound expertise in medicinal chemistry with our strong clinical development and commercialisation capabilities."
Zhou expressed optimism about the partnership's potential impact, adding, "We look forward to working closely with the HKU team to accelerate the development of innovative medicines that can address critical unmet medical needs for patients worldwide."
Institutional Framework
The collaboration operates through HKU Versitech Limited (搜索), the commercial arm of the University of Hong Kong. As a wholly-owned subsidiary of the University, HKU Versitech is responsible for fostering industry-academia collaboration and managing the University's research technology transfer activities, providing the institutional framework necessary for effective partnership management and intellectual property development.