A new review shows that Chinese pharmaceutical firms are racing ahead in the fight against brain disorders. In stroke research, two home‑grown multi‑target drugs—Nitronone (TBN) and the unique non‑peptide PSD95‑nNOS uncoupler Y‑3—have entered Phase III trials, with Y‑3 promising to block both the initial stroke damage and the depression that often follows. Alzheimer’s therapy is also moving fast: Hengrui’s anti‑Aβ antibody SHR‑1707 is the quickest‑advancing candidate in China, and the small‑molecule Octahydroaminoacridine succinate received market approval in August 2024 for mild‑to‑moderate disease. Depression pipelines include 28 candidates, among them DB104, a precision‑medicine breakthrough, and the multi‑target JJH‑201501 now in Phase III to tackle lingering symptoms and side‑effects of older antidepressants. In schizophrenia, the first Chinese‑developed mGluR2/3 modulator DB‑103 and Zai Lab’s KarXT (tropisetron chloride)—the first novel‑mechanism antipsychotic in 70 years—have been approved and entered national treatment guidelines. New insomnia options such as orexin‑blocker YZJ‑1139 are also in Phase III, showing better safety than traditional sleep drugs. Pain research focuses on non‑addictive solutions, with Nav1.8 inhibitors, anti‑NGF antibodies, and FM‑888—the world’s first central synaptic‑plasticity inhibitor—aiming to curb the opioid crisis. Overall, China’s pipeline now includes 5 drugs at NDA, 20 in Phase III, 87 in Phase II and 162 in early stages, shifting from classic targets to innovative areas like the brain‑gut axis, ion channels and novel receptors, and embracing multi‑target strategies to address complex neuropsychiatric conditions.
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