Shares of METIS TECHBIO-P (07666) rose more than 8% during the morning session. At the time of writing, the stock was up 6.72% to HK$14.76, with a turnover of HK$12.95 million.

The positive movement follows the expansion of the fifth set of listing criteria on the STAR Market to include the artificial intelligence large model sector. This development is seen as opening a more direct financing channel for domestic large model companies and enterprises deeply empowered by AI.

The intersection of AI and biotechnology, exemplified by AI-driven drug discovery, is also expected to gain more institutional support from the capital markets. It is believed that the broadening of the STAR Market's fifth standard to encompass AI, along with the inclusion of future industries like biomanufacturing, could provide clearer regulatory expectations for cross-disciplinary fields such as AI-based drug delivery. This clarity may contribute to fostering a more stable innovation ecosystem within the industry.

In a separate development, METIS TECHBIO-P recently announced a strategic alliance with Deerfield, a health investment and innovation platform. Deerfield manages assets exceeding US$16 billion and has been deeply involved in the growth of healthcare companies such as Sage Therapeutics and Alnylam.

The collaboration aims to integrate METIS TECHBIO-P's proprietary technologies in AI-driven protein engineering, in vivo immunotherapies, and programmable biologics with Deerfield's extensive industry experience in translational medicine, clinical development, and global partnerships.