On December 12, 2025, Insilico Medicine, a generative AI-powered clinical-stage biotech company, and TaiGen*-KY (4157), a market-driven drug developer along with its Beijing subsidiary TaiGen Biopharmaceuticals (collectively "TaiGen"), announced an exclusive pipeline licensing agreement. Under the terms, TaiGen secures exclusive rights to develop, commercialize, and sublicense the PHD inhibitor ISM4808 in Greater China (Mainland China, Hong Kong, Macau, and Taiwan). Insilico is eligible for an upfront payment, development/sales milestone payments, and tiered royalties on net sales, with the total deal value reaching tens of millions of USD.
Chronic Kidney Disease (CKD) causes over 1.5 million deaths annually, with anemia affecting more than one in seven patients due to reduced erythropoietin (EPO) production and shortened red blood cell lifespan. Current therapies focus on symptom management rather than cure, addressing fatigue, shortness of breath, and dizziness to improve quality of life.
Nominated in 2022 as a potential "best-in-class" PHD inhibitor, ISM4808 targets the Nobel-recognized HIF-α pathway to enhance erythropoiesis via EPO induction and improved iron utilization. Its novel structure was designed, synthesized, and tested within 12 months using Insilico’s proprietary Chemistry42 AI platform, as highlighted in a January 2024 Journal of Medicinal Chemistry publication.
Preclinical studies demonstrated ISM4808’s potent efficacy at low doses in CKD rat models, along with favorable oral pharmacokinetics, safety margins, and ADME properties. The project received China CDE clinical trial approval in 2023.
Dr. Feng Ren, Insilico’s Co-CEO and CSO, stated, "We’re thrilled to partner with TaiGen, whose expertise will accelerate this AI-discovered therapy for patients. Our confidence in PHD inhibition is bolstered by positive Phase I safety data for ISM5411, another PHD inhibitor we developed for inflammatory bowel disease."
TaiGen Chairman Kuo-Lung Huang remarked, "Insilico’s AI innovation aligns perfectly with our mission. With China’s dialysis population exceeding 1 million and the oral PHD inhibitor market surging from RMB 50 million to 2.45 billion in five years, this collaboration addresses critical unmet needs in treatment convenience and compliance."