Media365
[The content of this article has been produced by our advertising partner.]
Aging populations, shifting lifestyles and persistent stress are driving a global surge in debilitating chronic diseases – creating vast unmet medical needs and mounting social and economic pressures. In Hong Kong, a new generation of biotech innovators is racing to respond, powered by strong government support, forwardlooking policies and worldclass medical institutions. This momentum has rapidly elevated the city into a global biotech hub, now ranked as the world’s #2 biotech fundraising market and recognised for its strength in clinical translation.
HKSTP has been central to this rise. Its unified clinicaltrial ecosystem and incubation support have expanded the number of clinicalstage companies from 5 to more than 60 in just a few years. Many of these companies have achieved IPOs, major fundraising rounds, acquisitions and licensing deals, earned FDA recognition and conducted multiregional trials – building a predictable pipeline that moves breakthroughs from lab to patient and attracts global capital.
“We are in a unique position to lead,” said Terry Wong, CEO of HKSTP, at a CTC Marketplace Showcase event in March (CTC stands for Clinical Translational Catalyst.) “We have everything we need here to become a truly international healthcare innovation hub. At HKSTP, our job is to make that happen.”
The CTC Marketplace Showcase event featured several HKSTP supported companies whose fundraising, commercialisation and international trial milestones demonstrate how Hong Kong is turning scientific promise into realworld impact.
Health Hope Pharma
Many cancer patients receiving chemotherapy worldwide face complications driven by drug resistance. Hong Kong–based latestage oncology biopharma Health Hope Pharma (HHP) focuses on novel oral anticancer therapies that offer a safer, more convenient alternative to conventional intravenous regimens. At the heart of HHP’s approach is encequidar, a firstinclass, highly selective Pglycoprotein (Pgp) inhibitor designed to minimise the expulsion of chemotherapy agents by resistant cancer cells. By reversing multidrug resistance (MDR), encequidar can boost the potency of existing drugs and broaden treatment options, said founder Professor Dennis Lam Shunchiu. “This firstinclass oral booster makes homebased chemotherapy possible.”
A flagship example is Oraxol, an oral formulation of paclitaxel that could displace intravenous paclitaxel in many regimens; the global market for paclitaxel is valued at roughly US$5 billion. “HHP aims for a New Drug Application for Oraxol from FDA in 2029 or 2030. Through HKSTP’s multiregional clinical trial support, we will kickstart supplemental phase 3 study in US, China, Hong Kong, New Zealand and Australia in 2026,” he said.
HHP’s strategy has been to revive and reposition a previously failed innovation through strategic international partnerships, which subsequently led to a major licensing agreement with global biopharmaceutical leader Gilead Sciences Inc. The deal carries potential milestone payments of up to US$82.5 million.
Lam highlighted Hong Kong’s competitive clinicaltrial ecosystem as a key advantage. “The city’s edge is its regional connectivity. By extending trials into the Greater Bay Area (78 million people) and then into the rest of mainland China, Hong Kong can act as the principal coordinator and a trusted hub launching studies quickly and scaling patient recruitment across nearby cities.” Government initiatives such as the GBA International Clinical Trial Institute further strengthen this infrastructure, he added.
Arthrosi Therapeutics Inc
Gout has a debilitating impact on the lives of hundreds of millions worldwide. Arthrosi Therapeutics Inc is dedicated to developing treatments that lower uric acid and limit joint destruction. The company’s rapid ascent — including US$153 million in Series E funding and a subsequent acquisition by international biopharma Sobi valued at US$1.5 billion — underscores both the scale of the unmet need and the commercial promise of its science.
Cofounder and COO of Arthrosi, Dr Shunqi Yan, said, “From day one, Arthrosi’s strategy has focused on addressing unmet medical need, based on scientific differentiation, disciplined execution, and the ability to secure the right capital at the right time. That approach led to pozdeutinurad (AR882) and transformed it from a promising clinical asset into latestage development, with FDA Fast Track designation, two pivotal Phase 3 trials fully enrolled ahead of schedule, and ultimately the acquisition by Sobi.”
Dr Yan acknowledged the obstacles the company faced: “We encountered hurdles, including navigating a difficult biotech financing environment, generating convincing clinical data, and building the capabilities required for global development,” he continued. “HKSTP was an important part of that journey, with its venture support and broader ecosystem of labs, grants, clinicians, investors, partners, and industry platforms helping to enhance visibility, facilitate key introductions, and accelerate momentum at critical stages.” He pointed to HKSTP’s role in connecting Arthrosi with Hong Kong clinicians who participated in its Phase 3 REDUCE 2 trials, helping to speed recruitment and strengthen regional collaboration.
“For the US-Hong Kong model, our experience shows that Hong Kong’s strength as a global biotech hub lies in its ability to connect science, capital, clinical resources, and crossborder collaboration. HKSTP has been an important part of that ecosystem, helping create the conditions for innovative companies to move faster and more effectively toward addressing major unmet medical needs,” he added.
Nuance Pharma
Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) and respiratory allergies are major global health challenges. Ensifentrine (Ohtuvayre™), approved by the FDA in 2024, promises to help an estimated 300–400 million patients worldwide, said Nuance Pharma’s COO, Dr Charlie Chen. “It’s the firstinclass novel mechanism (PDE3/4) for COPD maintenance therapy in decades.”
Nuance moved quickly to turn that promise into access by using Hong Kong’s “1+” regulatory pathway to expedite commercialisation. In March 2026 the company secured Department of Health’s approval for Ohtuvayre™, the first COPD drug authorised under this scheme. Originating in Shanghai, Nuance opened an office at HKSTP to drive GBA initiatives and broader Asian expansion. To accelerate access in mainland China, the company launched Ohtuvayre™ in the Hainan Boao Pilot Zone in 2024 and introduced it to the GBA market in February 2026 under the “Hong Kong and Macau Medicine and Equipment Connect” policy.
“By leveraging Hong Kong and Macau as the GBA hub and the new GBA Connect policy, our company makes drugs approved by Hong Kong or Macau available to patients in GBA,” he said. “With current access to 71 institutions across the region, we can commercialise innovations rapidly for millions of patients in Guangdong and eliminate the yearslong regulatory delays that once blocked timely treatment. Our experience is when you open that up, patients across the country will come to get the medicine they need.”
The Clinical Translational Catalyst platform
These park companies share a common view: HKSTP delivers measurable results and is helping make Hong Kong Asia’s premier biotech launchpad. The centralised approach at the CTC attracts more firms to develop drugs locally, while admission into the park’s ecosystem has become a globally recognised mark of credibility. Beyond funding and faster clinical data, this attracts more investors, said Vicky Tse, Head of Life and Health Technology at HKSTP. “ HKSTP is a super value adder and super connector, helping park companies find their super partners.”
