Pudong’s biotech hub is hitting a stride with three headline‑making advances. A Shanghai‑based start‑up, Correct Sequence Biology, reported that its experimental gene‑editing drug CS‑206 has kept a sickle‑cell patient free from painful vaso‑occlusive crises for more than 15 months – the first time a base‑editing therapy has shown such lasting benefit in China. The treatment rewrites a tiny DNA segment in a patient’s own stem cells, re‑activating fetal hemoglobin and stopping red‑blood‑cell sickling. The same platform, CS‑101, has already cured over ten beta‑thalassemia patients across Asia, eliminating their need for transfusions. Meanwhile, myWE BioTech announced the first dose of its Nectin‑4 ADC drug (9MW2821) in a Phase III trial for triple‑negative breast cancer, a form of the disease with few options. The trial does not require biomarker screening, meaning it could benefit a broader patient pool. The drug already holds multiple FDA Fast‑Track and Orphan‑Drug designations and is being tested in the United States as well. In a separate breakthrough, Jingtai Technology, in partnership with Sun Yat‑sen University, unveiled a visible‑light‑driven method to attach sulfur atoms to complex drug molecules – a step that could speed up the creation of more stable, effective medicines. The work, which combined AI‑guided quantum calculations with clever chemistry, was published in the prestigious journal Angewandte Chemie. Together, these milestones underscore Pudong’s growing reputation as a world‑class center for innovative medical research.
Read more