z-bio 2025-08-20 2636

　　From the wonderful ideas in the laboratory, to the implementation of the results, to the continuous deepening of the establishment of a company - this growth trajectory is the yearning for countless scientific researchers. But there are really people who have taken this step by step into reality.

　　In August 2025, Zheling Bio announced that it had completed a B+ round of financing of nearly 400 million yuan, led by Qiming Venture Capital, followed by market-oriented funds such as Gaorong Venture Capital and Jifeng Capital, and continued to support Sichuan Biopharmaceutical Industry Group.

　　This financing is particularly eye-catching against the backdrop of global biomedical capital’s coldest hit. Chen Kan, partner of Qiming Venture Capital, pointed out: "Zhiling Bio-deeply combines structural biology with AI, and its clinical transformation efficiency and breakthrough efficacy of core varieties have the scarce value of becoming an important participant in innovative drugs around the world."

　　Chen Lijuan's entrepreneurial story begins with the fertile scientific research ground of West China Hospital of Sichuan University.

　　As a first-level professor at West China Hospital and a second-level professor at Sichuan University, and deputy director of the State Key Laboratory of Biological Therapy at Sichuan University, she has been deeply engaged in the field of new drug research and development for more than 20 years. As the project/project leader, he has presided over more than 40 national and provincial scientific research projects, including 5 major new drugs creation projects in the 11th, 12th, and 13th Five-Year Plan, 1 major special project in the National Natural Science Foundation of China instruments, 1 key project in the joint fund, and 5 projects in the above. He is a typical "professor" entrepreneur.

　　In 2019, Chen Lijuan, the state-owned equity management and management platform under the West China Hospital of Sichuan University - Sichuan West China Health Technology Co., Ltd. (hereinafter referred to as "West China Health"), and Guizhou Bailing jointly established Zheling Bio. Chen Lijuan and West China Health jointly invested 30 million yuan in RMB at the appraisal price, holding 45% of the shares of Zylin Bio, of which West China Health accounted for 4.5% of the shares and Chen Lijuan held 40.5% of the shares of Zylin Bio, of which West China Health accounted for 4.5% of the shares and Chen Lijuan accounted for 40.5% of the shares.

　　In the early stages of entrepreneurship, China's innovative drug industry faces severe challenges: the R&D cycle of original innovative drugs is long, the investment is large, and the risks are high, and domestic pharmaceutical companies mainly focus on generic drugs. Chen Lijuan chose the most difficult path - developing innovative drugs that are the world's first (First-in-Class) and best-in-Class.

　　The company faced multiple pressures from the construction of talents, funds and technology platforms at the beginning of its establishment.

　　With his academic background and industry resources, Chen Lijuan formed an initial R&D team, including 9 senior professional titles and 21 doctoral students, building a drug R&D system that integrates structural biology and artificial intelligence. Build three core technology fortresses to overcome the problem of "double cancer". Zylin Bio has three core technology platforms: "Structural Biology Platform", "AI-driven Drug Design Platform" and "Organoid-PDX Dual-track Verification Platform". These three platforms form a solid foundation for the company's innovative drug research and development.

　　After six years of development, the company has independently developed 7 products with global interests, covering four major fields: tumors, autoimmune diseases, inflammation and neurological diseases. Among them, one indication entered Phase III clinical trials and five entered Phase II clinical trials, showing strong R&D efficiency.

　　In Chen Lijuan's office, two code names are frequently mentioned: PM (phistat methanesulfonate) and FM (flunotinib maleate). These are the two core products of Zylin Bio, and they are also the "child" she cherishes the most.

　　PM is the world's first single agent for clinical trials of relapsed/refractory lymphoma. At present, PM single agent has completed the national multicenter clinical trial of phase 1 treatment of hematoma and phase 2a/2b treatment of relapsed/refractory diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (r/r DLBCL), and is also conducting phase 1/2 clinical trials of T lymphoma, solid tumors, and breast cancer. In the phase 2a study of r/r DLBCL, its objective response rate (ORR) reached 69.0%, which is not inferior to or even better than the effect of the combination of mainstream bianti and ADC drugs at that time. At present, the product has successfully entered the critical phase 3 clinical study.

　　FM is a highly selective three-target inhibitor with the world's first potential for potential, used to treat patients with myelofibrosis. In clinical trials, the drug showed compelling efficacy—more than 80% of patients achieved spleen volume reduction ≥35% (SVR35). It was reported that in some patients treated with FM, the researchers observed a significant reduction in the degree of myelofibrosis, and in some cases even showed signs of histological reversal. This finding may change the treatment landscape in patients with myelofibrosis.

　　In the context of the global pharmaceutical industry's capital market becoming colder, this financing is particularly precious.

　　Chen Lijuan admitted: "Zhiling Bio is still able to quickly complete the B+ round of financing, which fully reflects investors' high recognition of our development strategy and R&D results."

　　The 400 million yuan financing will be mainly used in several major directions: promoting innovative drugs into key Phase III clinical research, supporting the continuous expansion of new R&D pipelines, and continuing to iterate the three major platforms of "structural biology + AI + organoids". Chen Lijuan sets strategic goals for 2025 - to promote this year to become the "first year of globalization" for the company. She announced: "The company will accelerate its overseas market and advance to the central stage of innovative drugs around the world."

　　As she said at the Chengdu Municipal Party Committee plenary session two years ago, "turning around" from a scientist and becoming an entrepreneur requires great determination. Whether to "swim ashore" is not only the technology and the team itself, but also the support of the entire industrial chain.

　　Today, both of Zheling Bio's main products have made significant progress. At that time, Chen Lijuan set the goal of "listing on the Science and Technology Innovation Board IPO in the next 3 to 5 years".

　　As the two core drugs enter the critical phase III clinical and overseas trials are launched, the West China female professor is leading the team to practice the leap from "new from China to new globally" and bring Chinese smart life solutions to cancer patients around the world. How will Ziling Biology develop in the future deserves continuous attention.