Hangzhou-based biotech start-up MindRank has progressed to Phase 3 clinical trials for its weight-loss drug, making it China’s first artificial intelligence-assisted Category 1 new drug to reach this stage.
MindRank announced last month that it had initiated a Phase 3 clinical trial in China for MDR-001, a small molecule GLP-1 receptor agonists designed with the help of AI. GLP-1 receptor agonists mimic natural hormones to regulate blood sugar and appetite.
According to Niu Zhangming, MindRank’s founder and CEO, the drug was the first AI-assisted, Category 1 new drug to reach this advanced stage in China. The company was aiming for approval in the second half of 2028, paving the way for a market launch in 2029.
The new drug development process to date has taken about four and a half years compared to the seven to 10 typically required to reach this stage, according to Niu, who added that efficiency gains from AI had effectively slashed overall research and development costs by at least 60 per cent.
According to Niu, human specialists can specify a target, typically a protein molecule within the human body directly linked to a disease, and then leverage its proprietary AI tools to rapidly generate potential drugs. This workflow allows researchers to shortlist and select the most promising candidates from an AI-generated pool.
“It’s like overseeing an automated assembly line,” Niu said.