Biomed trailblazer reveals antibody therapies set to change over 200 million lives
The company’s first-in-class and potential best-in-class therapeutics promise to be both effective and organ-protective and are poised to transform the future of immunological care globally.
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Hundreds of millions of people worldwide live with immunological disorders such as Type 1 diabetes, rheumatoid arthritis (RA), and inflammatory bowel disease, according to estimates from the World Health Organization (WHO). The toll is rising rapidly, driven by genetics, infections, environmental exposures, and the pressures of modern lifestyles. Projections suggest that this burden will continue to swell over the coming decades, striking hardest in aging populations and urban centres stricken with severe environmental stressors.
Yet existing treatments often come with significant drawbacks. Many therapies suppress or overstimulate the immune system, leading to unintended consequences and serious complications that affect multiple organs.
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Against this backdrop, SinoMab BioScience Ltd (SinoMab) has emerged as a trailblazer in antibody therapeutics, targeting pathways often overlooked by other biomedical companies. At the heart of SinoMab’s world-first solutions lies its proprietary antibody engineering platform, which refines antibodies to bind with greater precision to disease targets. This breakthrough enables the company to differentiate its pipeline with therapies that promise superior efficacy and safety.
SinoMab’s solutions have the potential to resolve the unmet medical needs of over 200 million patients worldwide. “True science-driven innovation maximises and creates lasting impact on people,” says Dr Leung Shui-on, Founder of SinoMab. “We focus on originality. By developing proprietary novel mechanisms, we aim to deliver differentiated therapies that earn global recognition, attract strong partnerships, and create sustainable commercial value.”
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Strategically positioned at the intersection of local strength and global ambition, SinoMab has built its R&D foundation in Hong Kong while extending its clinical footprint beyond the city. The company has secured a three-year collaboration with Sun Yat-sen University Institute of Advanced Studies and forged critical ties with the University of Oxford. These partnerships accelerate biomedical R&D and clinical translation while deepening SinoMab’s global innovation network. “We are trying to get the best of both worlds,” Leung explains. “By leveraging execution efficiency on the mainland and the innovative spirit in Britain.”
World-first antibody therapeutics
SinoMab’s flagship product, Suciraslimab (SM03), exemplifies Leung’s vision of original innovation. As a potential global first-in-class anti-CD22 monoclonal antibody, SM03 introduces a novel mechanism: modulating B cells – white blood cells that produce antibodies – without depletion. This innovation has already demonstrated strong efficacy in rheumatoid arthritis (RA) and shows promise in neuro-immunological conditions such as Alzheimer’s disease.
SinoMab centres on developing the world-first and best-in-class antibody solutions.
SM03 could transform over 50 million lives globally. WHO projects that the number of people living with dementia – of which Alzheimer’s disease accounts for up to 70 percent of cases – will rise from an estimated 57 million in 2021 to approximately 152 million by 2050. “Every breakthrough we achieve is a step toward making complex diseases more manageable and giving patients hope,” Leung adds.
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In a pivotal Phase III trial for RA in China, SM03 achieved statistically significant improvements. Patients reported rapid and sustained reductions in joint pain, swelling, and inflammation – outcomes that directly enhance mobility, reduce disability, and improve daily functioning.
SM17 — SinoMab’s latest first in class and potentially best in class therapy — has been formulated to effectively and rapidly relieve itching and skin lesions in patients with moderate to severe atopic dermatitis.
Building on the success of SM03, SinoMab has advanced another first-in-class and potentially best-in-class therapy, SM17, a novel investigational therapy targeting the IL-25 receptor (IL-17RB) pathway in moderate to severe atopic dermatitis (AD). This candidate delivers dual benefits: rapid itch relief and skin lesion healing, addressing the critical needs for AD patients. With over 230 million people worldwide affected by AD, including more than 70 million in China, the potential impact is significant. SinoMab has already completed a Phase Ib study and demonstrated good safety and differentiating efficacy. It plans to initiate Phase II clinical trials in adult patients with moderate to severe AD in 2026.
Leung traces his vision back to his undergraduate studies at the Chinese University of Hong Kong in the 1980s, when biotechnology was just emerging. “I was looking at the possibility of making products that could touch the lives of many,” he recalls. Another pivotal moment came during his PhD at Oxford University: “The concept of antibody engineering hit me. I was convinced it would open possibilities for developing therapeutics targeting different diseases.”
After years of work at Yale University, Leung returned to Hong Kong to head a research institute before establishing SinoMab – the first home-grown biopharmaceutical company listed on the Hong Kong Stock Exchange.
SinoMab BioScience Ltd successfully listed on the Main Board of the Hong Kong Stock Exchange in November 2019, becoming the city’s first home-grown biopharma company.
Over the years, SinoMab has earned significant recognition, including six Investigational New Drug (IND) approvals from China’s regulatory authority. Its flagship SM03 was included in the National 13th Five-Year Major New Drug Creation Programme. The company’s sustained innovation has been acknowledged with the China Biopharmaceutical Industry Innovation Award for three consecutive years, as well as the Greater Bay Area New Quality Productive Forces Enterprise Award for Biopharmaceuticals, Drug & Instrument Manufacturing, and Medical Services.
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Keeping Up
Underlying SinoMab’s achievements is a philosophy that blends vision with patient-centric purpose. “Keep Up means thinking beyond borders – bringing Hong Kong’s scientific excellence to the world, while addressing unmet medical needs in autoimmune and immunological diseases,” Leung says.
Reflecting on his legacy, he adds: “I just want the company to be recognised as a highly respected innovative hub for best-in-class products that can address medical needs.”
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This story is part of the “Keep Up with Tech Tuesday by HKSTP” series, which will be published every Tuesday over the next eight weeks. The series highlights the city’s cutting edge tech developments that are reshaping the world. Discover more inspiring ‘Keep Up’ stories from companies hosted by the Hong Kong Science and Technology Parks Corporation (HKSTP), and join the city in riding the wave of innovation and technology (I&T) into the future.
As Hong Kong’s largest I&T ecosystem, HKSTP is home to more than 2,400 tech companies –including over 300 in life and health technology that are making a global impact – and nearly 26,000 dedicated innovators. Among these companies are 12 unicorns, such as Cornerstone Robotics, which develops efficient and precise surgical robots; Centre for Novostics, creator of the world’s first non invasive prenatal DNA test; and Insilico Medicine, developer of the world’s first artificial intelligence generated drug for lung disease patients.
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.png?itok=i5vMCMtE "SinoMab centres on developing the world-first and best-in-class antibody solutions.")
.png?itok=JRLO_Y0J "SM17 — SinoMab’s latest first in class and potentially best in class therapy — has been formulated to effectively and rapidly relieve itching and skin lesions in patients with moderate to severe atopic dermatitis.")
.png?itok=DKAiZZIu "SinoMab BioScience Ltd successfully listed on the Main Board of the Hong Kong Stock Exchange in November 2019, becoming the city’s first home-grown biopharma company.")