curegene.com.cnCrawled Oct 26, 2026
Kexun Pharmaceuticals announced the start of first-in-human (FIH) Phase I clinical trials for its oral liver-targeting THR-β agonist CG-0416 in Australia, following ethics committee approval. The drug, designed using Kexun’s proprietary PuYu prodrug platform, achieves precise liver targeting, minimizes systemic exposure, and reduces off-target effects.
Kexun Pharmaceuticals announced that its oral liver-targeting THR-β agonist CG-0416 completed first-in-human dosing in Australia, with enrollment ongoing. The drug, designed using Kexun’s proprietary PuYu prodrug platform, targets the liver precisely, reduces off-target effects, and improves metabolic markers like liver fat, lipid profiles, and blood glucose levels.
Kexun Pharmaceuticals completed over 300 million yuan in Series C funding led by Watson Biopharma, with existing investors including Tailong Capital and new investors such as China Venture Capital Fund and Shenzhen Venture Capital. The funds will accelerate global clinical development of core pipelines, supporting Kexun’s mRNA and PuYu prodrug platforms established since its 2018 founding in Shanghai.
Dr. Chen Xiao Wu serves as vice president of chemical research and development at Kexun Pharmaceuticals, bringing over 25 years of experience in innovative drug development, particularly in structural biology and AI-driven computational chemistry. Before joining Kexun, he contributed to the late-stage development of Tamiflu (oseltamivir), the world’s first oral influenza drug, and played a key role in developing HIV, hepatitis B, and hepatitis C drugs, including Biktarvy.
Dr. He Gongxin has over 30 years of experience in the pharmaceutical industry and founded Kejun Pharmaceutical in 2018, serving as CEO. Previously, he held senior management roles at Gilead Sciences in the U.S. and China, including key research positions and CEO roles. He led the development of multiple best-in-class drugs and was a principal inventor and project leader for tenofovir alafenamide (TAF), a next-gen prodrug of tenofovir used globally to treat hepatitis B.
Kexun Pharmaceuticals is headquartered in Shanghai as Shanghai Kexun Pharmaceutical Technology Co., Ltd.
