VIGONVITA-B (02630) surged over 14% at one point, reaching a record high of HK$112.7. By the time of writing, the stock was up 12.02%, trading at HK$110, with a turnover of HK$12.9281 million.

After market close on January 26, the official WeChat account of the Wuhan Institute of Virology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, published an article stating that recent significant research results, jointly published in an international journal by the research teams of Xiao Gengfu/Zhang Leike and Shan Chao from the institute, in collaboration with the Shanghai Institute of Materia Medica and Dr. Hu Tianwen from VIGONVITA Biopharmaceutical Co., Ltd., confirmed that the oral nucleoside drug VV116 exhibits significant antiviral activity against the Nipah virus, offering new hope for the prevention and treatment of this highly lethal emerging infectious disease.

This achievement marks the first confirmation of VV116's therapeutic potential against the Nipah virus. It can not only serve as a preventive medication for high-risk groups such as healthcare workers and laboratory personnel but also provides a readily available drug option for addressing current and future Nipah virus outbreaks.

Public information indicates that VIGONVITA was founded in 2013, focusing on three major therapeutic areas: neuropsychiatry, reproductive health, and viral infections. In December last year, VIGONVITA announced it had signed a licensing and cooperation agreement with Simcere Pharmaceutical Group. According to the agreement, VIGONVITA granted Simcere the exclusive rights to develop, manufacture, and commercialize VV116 for respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) infection and human metapneumovirus (HMPV) infection indications in Greater China, which includes Mainland China, Hong Kong SAR, Macao SAR, and Taiwan.