HUYA Bioscience International forms strategic partnership with School of Chinese Materia Medica of BUCM

May 29 2010

HUYA Bioscience International, a leader in globalizing China's biopharmaceutical innovation, today announced a strategic partnership with the School of Chinese Materia Medica of the Beijing University of Chinese Medicine (BUCM). As one of a series of collaborations that HUYA has established with China's leading research and development institutions, the agreement demonstrates HUYA's visionary commitment to enabling and accelerating the global development and commercialization of novel biopharmaceutical products originating in China.

HUYA is one of the first companies to have recognized China's potential to help meet the global need for new preclinical and clinical stage compounds. The agreement with the School of Chinese Materia Medica of BUCM provides HUYA with access to and first review of certain novel therapeutic candidates owned or controlled by the school. In return, the school gains access to HUYA's expertise in preclinical and clinical development and its global network of pharmaceutical partners.

The partnership is expected to bring productive synergy between the two parties. The School of Chinese Materia Medica of BUCM is recognized for its strength of leading-edge research on traditional Chinese medicine (TCM). HUYA has a strong commitment toward developing novel therapeutics from TCM in areas of unmet medical needs. HBI-3000, HUYA's novel anti-arrhythmic compound currently in development in both China and the U.S., was originally derived from a TCM.

"The partnership between HUYA and BUCM's School of Chinese Materia Medica symbolizes a new frontier in the progression of TCM to the worldwide markets, which will benefit patients globally," said Mireille Gingras, Ph.D., President and CEO of HUYA. "We look forward to collaborating with the school's talented research staff to address the global need for novel pharmaceutical products."

"The School of Chinese Materia Medica of BUCM is committed to strengthening scientific research and exploring new innovations in TCM," said Professor Renbing Shi, Ph.D., Dean of the School of Chinese Materia Medica, Beijing University of Chinese Medicine. "We are pleased to partner with HUYA's expert team to share knowledge and engage in co-development activities that will enhance our research programs, plus modernize and internationalize the results of our efforts on innovative drugs."