Zhong Sheng Pharmaceutical (01177) saw its shares jump more than 4% in early trading. At the time of writing, the stock was up 4.20%, trading at HK$7.20 with a turnover of HK$322 million.

China Biopharmaceuticals announced that it will fully acquire the domestic siRNA innovative drug company Hejiya Biotech for a total consideration of RMB 1.2 billion. Following its investment in Sheng Yin Biotech, this acquisition represents another critical strategic move for China Biopharmaceuticals in the small nucleic acid therapeutics arena.

The company stated that Hejiya is a pioneering biopharmaceutical enterprise focused on the research and development of small interfering RNA (siRNA) innovative drugs. It has established an integrated innovative drug development system spanning from target discovery to clinical proof-of-concept (POC), with a strategic focus on three major chronic disease areas: metabolic disorders/weight loss, cardiovascular and cerebrovascular diseases, and the nervous system. Hejiya possesses 4 clinical-stage assets and over 10 preclinical assets, all of which have first-in-class and best-in-class potential.