Sino Biopharm fully acquires Hegenia, a dark horse in siRNA Space, to enrich its pipeline in Chronic Disease Therapy.

01
Sino Biopharm Scores Another Major Win with the Acquisition

Sino Biopharmaceutical Limited ("Sino Biopharm") has just announced via an official filing that it will acquire Hangzhou Hegenia Biopharmaceuticals Co., Ltd. ("Hegenia"), a small interfering RNA (siRNA) drug developer, for a total consideration of CNY 1.2 billion. Upon completion of the transaction, Hegenia will become an indirect wholly-owned subsidiary of Sino Biopharm.

This acquisition marks the first takeover of a domestic siRNA-focused biotech by a large-scale pharmaceutical enterprise in China, and also represents a key strategic move by Sino Biopharm in expanding its innovative drug portfolio.

Sino Biopharm stated that the acquisition is aimed at building a next-generation innovative pipeline for cardiovascular therapy, optimizing its strategic layout in the weight management and metabolic disease sector, and further tapping into the trillion-yuan chronic disease management market. Meanwhile, it will help the company establish a leading position in next-generation differentiated technology platforms and accelerate its globalization drive.

Founded in 2018, Hegenia is a biotech firm specializing in the R&D of innovative siRNA drugs. It has emerged as a dark horse in China's siRNA industry, thanks to its proprietary six liver-targeted and extrahepatic delivery platforms.

Currently, Hegenia's R&D pipeline covers three major chronic disease areas: weight management & metabolism, cardio-cerebrovascular diseases, and neurological disorders. These core technology platforms boast a potential market value of tens of billions of US dollars. Specifically, 4 of its drug candidates have entered the clinical stage, and more than 10 are in preclinical development, all of which hold the potential to be first-in-class or best-in-class products.

In particular, Hegenia plans to advance multiple innovative drug candidates to clinical phases this year, including HJY-10 (an INHBE siRNA) for obesity treatment, HJY-02 (an APP siRNA) for Alzheimer's disease treatment, and HJY-21 (a dual-target PCSK9 siRNA) for cardiovascular disease treatment.

According to Sino Biopharm, Hegenia's innovative pipeline demonstrates strong international competitiveness. For instance, Kylo-11 is the world's first ultra-long-acting Lp(a)-targeting siRNA with a once-yearly dosing regimen; Kylo-12 is an APOC3-targeting siRNA with global best-in-class potential; and Kylo-0603 is the world's first GalNAc-conjugated THR-β small-molecule agonist that achieves specific liver targeting.

Going forward, Hegenia's R&D pipeline will form strong synergies and complementarities with the existing pipelines of Chia Tai Tianqing and Lixin Pharmaceutical, accelerating the realization of their global development potential.

02
The World's First Once-Yearly Injection for Lipid-Lowering

Through this acquisition, Sino Biopharm has also brought Kylo-11 into its fold—the world's first once-yearly injection for lipid-lowering.

With its unique advantages of directly targeting "undruggable" targets and delivering long-lasting therapeutic effects, siRNA technology is expected to address the unmet needs in the traditional treatment of chronic diseases.

Take cardio-cerebrovascular diseases as an example: nearly 20% of the global population suffers from elevated lipoprotein(a) [Lp(a)], which is an independent risk factor for atherothrombotic cardiovascular diseases. However, there are currently no approved drugs for the treatment of hyperlipoprotein(a)emia worldwide, leaving a huge unmet clinical demand.

Hegenia's proprietary Kylo-11 is the world's first long-acting drug for hyperlipoprotein(a)emia that enables once-yearly administration. A single subcutaneous injection can reduce Lp(a) levels by 95%, with superior safety and medication convenience.

It is reported that Kylo-11 is currently undergoing a China-US international multi-center Phase II clinical trial, with the first patient dose administered in October 2025. It is the most advanced siRNA product for hyperlipoprotein(a)emia in China.

03
Armed with a Portfolio of Innovative Flagships Chia Tai Tianqing, Lixin Pharmaceutical & Hegenia

Listed on the Hong Kong Stock Exchange in 2000, Sino Biopharmaceutical Limited (Sino Biopharm) has built a solid foundation across four high-growth therapeutic areas—oncology, liver diseases/metabolism, respiratory diseases, and surgery/analgesia—over more than two decades of development.

With the completion of the Hegenia acquisition, Sino Biopharm now boasts three core flagships under its umbrella: Chia Tai Tianqing, Lixin Pharmaceutical, and Hegenia.

Back in 2025, Sino Biopharm announced its proposed full acquisition of Lixin Pharmaceutical for CNY 6.82 billion, a move that garnered widespread attention across the pharmaceutical industry.

Lixin Pharmaceutical houses three core technology platforms—LM-Abs™ Antibody Discovery Platform, LM-ADC™ Next-Generation ADC Technology Platform, and LM-TCE™ Bispecific Antibody Technology Platform—covering the cutting-edge R&D directions of global anti-tumor drugs. These platforms enable Sino Biopharm to strengthen its pipeline in tumor immunotherapy and ADC drugs.

By 2025, Lixin Pharmaceutical had 8 clinical-stage programs and nearly 20 preclinical candidates in its portfolio, targeting high-incidence cancer types such as gastric cancer, multiple myeloma, and pancreatic cancer. Key candidates including LM-108 (a CCR8 monoclonal antibody) and LM-302 have been granted breakthrough therapy designation (BTD) by the Center for Drug Evaluation (CDE) due to their promising clinical potential, entitling them to priority review and trial acceleration pathways. Notably, LM-302, an ADC drug targeting Claudin18.2-positive gastric cancer, has already initiated global Phase III clinical trials.

For its part, Chia Tai Tianqing has clearly shifted its strategy from "combining generic drug development with innovation, with a primary focus on generics" to "combining generic drug development with innovation, with a primary focus on innovation" since 2018, delivering tangible results year after year.

In December 2025, Chia Tai Tianqing's Cumoxil Capsules (Saitanxin) received marketing approval, marking the world's first approved CDK2/4/6 inhibitor. In addition, a pipeline of first-in-class or best-in-class drug candidates is advancing at an accelerated pace. TQB2102 (a HER2 bispecific antibody ADC), a promising treatment for HER2-positive breast cancer, has been granted BTD twice and is currently in Phase III clinical trials; TQC3721 (a PDE3/4 inhibitor) is poised to become a novel cornerstone therapy for chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) in China; TQB3616 (a CDK2/4/6 inhibitor) is projected to achieve peak sales exceeding CNY 2 billion.

In the first half of 2025, Sino Biopharm recorded revenue of CNY 17.57 billion, representing a year-on-year growth of 10.7%. Its net profit attributable to shareholders from continuing operations surged 140.2% year-on-year to CNY 3.39 billion. Furthermore, the company’s gross profit margin climbed to 82.5%, while its R&D expense ratio rose to 18.1%. This set of impressive financial figures highlights the company’s robust growth resilience.