HYBIO Pharmaceutical Takes a Strategic Minority Stake in iCarbonX to Strengthen AI-Peptide R&D and Industrialization Collaboration

HYBIO Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd. (“HYBIO Pharmaceutical”) has entered into a strategic investment partnership with Shenzhen iCarbonX Intelligent Technology Co., Ltd. (“iCarbonX”). Under the agreement, HYBIO Pharmaceutical will invest RMB 10 million in cash to subscribe for iCarbonX’s newly increased registered capital. Upon completion of the capital increase, HYBIO Pharmaceutical will hold a 0.6623%  equity interest in iCarbonX. The transaction marks an evolution of the parties’ relationship—from earlier R&D collaboration to a deeper partnership that combines capital participation with industrial collaboration.

The strategic investment is intended to deepen the collaboration by combining the parties’ complementary strengths and support HYBIO Pharmaceutical’s end-to-end capabilities with AI-driven innovation. iCarbonX has developed an AI-driven Drug Discovery platform with strong capabilities in target identification as well as peptide design and optimization, and has demonstrated solid R&D strength in peptide innovative drug programs that are aligned with the parties’ shared focus. Previously, the two parties jointly advanced a benchmark program, HY3003, a GLP-1R/GIPR/GCGR triple agonist peptide innovative drug. HY3003 completed efficient early-stage screening and molecular optimization through iCarbonX’s AI platform, and its progress provided a strong foundation for the current strategic investment.

At the pipeline level, iCarbonX has established two programs with significant market potential. The first is a novel-structure antimicrobial peptide developed using a peptide chip platform in combination with AI, showing broad-spectrum antibacterial activity—particularly against drug-resistant bacteria—with MIC values of 2–16 g/mL, and demonstrating Best-in-Class potential. The program has obtained an approval notice for Clinical Trials. The second is iCPDC-001, a peptide conjugate drug targeting a key protein in the tumor microenvironment, developed for precise delivery to tumor stroma, and showing strong potential in triple-negative breast cancer and other solid tumors.

As a leading company in peptide therapeutics, HYBIO Pharmaceutical has built an end-to-end industrial system spanning R&D, manufacturing, and commercialization, with industry-leading industrialization capabilities. The company’s Wuhan API manufacturing site and Longhua headquarters R&D center both passed U.S. FDA on-site inspections with “zero deficiencies” results (no Form 483 issued). HYBIO Pharmaceutical’s Pingshan formulation manufacturing site has obtained cGMP certifications from China, the United States, the European Union, and the other countries. On this basis, HYBIO Pharmaceutical has established a CRDMO platform designed to meet international quality and compliance standards, providing end-to-end services, providing end-to-end support from API process development, formulation research, and quality system establishment, through regulatory filing and registration, to commercial-scale manufacturing.

In line with the strategic cooperation agreement previously signed by the two parties, HYBIO Pharmaceutical will provide full-cycle CRDMO support to iCarbonX’s key innovative programs, including antimicrobial peptides and iCPDC-001, enabling an integrated pathway from R&D to clinical translation, scale-up manufacturing, and global commercialization, and accelerating the conversion of innovation into tangible outcomes.

Through this strategic investment and deeper industrial collaboration, HYBIO Pharmaceutical’s full value-chain capabilities and iCarbonX’s AI drug discovery strengths are expected to work in concert, establishing a collaborative model that combines AI-driven R&D with industrial execution. Looking ahead, the two parties will continue to explore collaboration across additional frontier areas, jointly advancing China’s AI-driven peptide innovative drugs to the global market.