Shanghai Fosun Pharmaceutical (Group) Co., Ltd. (FOSUN PHARMA) announced that its wholly owned unit, Shanghai Fosun Pharmaceutical Industrial Development Co., Ltd., has initiated a Phase II clinical trial in mainland China for FXS7553, an orally administered small-molecule DPP-1 inhibitor targeting chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD).

FXS7553—formerly coded XH-S004—is being developed for multiple respiratory indications, including non-cystic fibrosis bronchiectasis, for which it is already in a separate Phase II study. To date, the group has invested approximately RMB 151.00 million in the compound’s research and development.

No DPP-1 inhibitor has yet secured marketing approval in China, underscoring the molecule’s potential first-in-class positioning domestically. The programme remains subject to the standard clinical and regulatory review process, and the company highlights inherent uncertainties in drug development, including possible safety or efficacy hurdles that could disrupt progress.