China Resources Sanjiu Medical & Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd.

NANJING, China I June 16, 2025 I HELP Therapeutics, a global leader in regenerative medicine, and China Resources Sanjiu Pharmaceutical Company, one of China’s largest pharmaceutical companies, have announced a strategic partnership to co-develop and commercialize the investigational cell therapy HiCM-188 in Mainland China. HiCM-188 is the world’s first iPSC-derived regenerative therapy for advanced heart failure to receive IND clearance in both China and the United States. The candidate is currently in Phase II clinical trials in China and Phase I/II trials in the U.S., Singapore, and Thailand. HiCM-188 has shown robust safety and efficacy across more than five years of long-term follow-up. Heart failure remains a major unmet medical need, with its prevalence increasing at double-digit rates along with population ages. Heart transplantation remains the last resort for advanced heart failure patients, but donor deficiency limits clinical application. HiCM-188 presents a promising alternative and could be a potential game changer for this unmet medical need. “This co-development agreement with China Resources Sanjiu marks a significant milestone for HELP Therapeutics,” said Dr. Eugene Wang, Founder and CEO of HELP Therapeutics. “Their exceptional clinical network, innovation mindset, and commercial capabilities will accelerate the availability of our therapies to patients and contribute to the growth of China’s cell therapy industry.” “Cell therapy represents the future of life sciences, offering immense clinical potential for aging-related and refractory diseases,” remarked Mr. Qiu Huawei, Chairman of China Resources Sanjiu. “Our partnership with HELP Therapeutics strengthens our commitment to cell therapy innovation. HELP’s globally leading iPSC platform and defined clinical pipeline make them an ideal partner. Together, we aim to bring new hope to heart failure patients.” Professor Junbo Ge, Academician of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, lauded the collaboration as a milestone in China’s Cell and Gene Therapy (CGT) landscape. He noted that HELP Therapeutics’ focus on heart failure addresses a critical clinical need and bridges the gap between heart transplantation and targeted myocardial repair. “This partnership has the potential to reshape treatment paradigms for patients worldwide,” he said. About HELP Therapeutics HELP Therapeutics is a global leader in regenerative medicine, focused on developing innovative therapies for heart failure and other serious conditions. Leveraging a cutting-edge iPSC platform and a robust clinical pipeline, HELP is dedicated to transforming patient outcomes through advanced cell therapies. SOURCE: HELP THERAPEUTICS

NANJING, China, June 16, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- HELP Therapeutics, a global leader in regenerative medicine, and China Resources Sanjiu Pharmaceutical Company, one of China's largest pharmaceutical companies, have announced a strategic partnership to co-develop and commercialize the investigational cell therapy HiCM-188. Heart failure remains a major unmet medical need, with its prevalence increasing at double-digit rates. In China alone, an estimated 12 million adults suffer from heart failure, with 2.97 million new cases each year. The five-year survival rate is comparable to that of many malignant tumors. For end-stage patients, heart transplantation is the only proven treatment—but fewer than one in 1,000 patients receive a matching donor heart in time. Cell therapy presents a promising alternative and could transform care for this growing patient population. HiCM-188 is the world's first iPSC-derived regenerative therapy for heart failure to receive IND clearance in both China and the United States. The candidate is currently in Phase II clinical trials in China and Phase I/II trials in the U.S., Singapore, and Thailand. HiCM-188 has shown robust safety and efficacy across more than five years of long-term follow-up. "This co-development agreement with China Resources Sanjiu marks a significant milestone for HELP Therapeutics," said Dr. Wang Jiaxian, Founder and CEO of HELP Therapeutics. "Their exceptional clinical network, innovation mindset, and commercial capabilities will accelerate the availability of our therapies to patients and contribute to the growth of China's cell therapy industry." "Cell therapy represents the future of life sciences, offering immense clinical potential for aging-related and refractory diseases," remarked Mr. Qiu Huawei, Chairman of China Resources Sanjiu. "Through our subsidiary, Tasly Pharmaceuticals, we have already advanced into the MSC cell therapy space. Our partnership with HELP Therapeutics further strengthens our commitment to cell therapy innovation. HELP's globally leading iPSC platform and defined clinical pipeline make them an ideal partner. Together, we aim to bring new hope to heart failure patients." Professor Junbo Ge, Academician of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, lauded the collaboration as a milestone in China's Cell and Gene Therapy (CGT) landscape. He noted that HELP Therapeutics' focus on heart failure addresses a critical clinical need and bridges the gap between heart transplantation and targeted myocardial repair. "This partnership has the potential to reshape treatment paradigms for patients worldwide," he said. About HELP Therapeutics HELP Therapeutics is a global leader in regenerative medicine, focused on developing innovative therapies for heart failure and other serious conditions. Leveraging a cutting-edge iPSC platform and a robust clinical pipeline, HELP is dedicated to transforming patient outcomes through advanced cell therapies. SOURCE HELP THERAPEUTICS WANT YOUR COMPANY'S NEWS FEATURED ON PRNEWSWIRE.COM? 440k+ Newsrooms & Influencers 9k+ Digital Media Outlets 270k+ Journalists Opted In GET STARTED

Recently, China's pharmaceutical industry ushered in a major equity change, China Resources Sanjiuannounced that it will buy 28% of Tasly's shares at a high price of 6.212 billion yuan, which marks another major expansion of China Resources Pharmaceutical territory. China Resources Sanjiu, as an important chess piece of China Resources Group in the pharmaceutical field, has been actively enhancing its market influence and business coverage through merger and acquisition strategies in recent years. The acquisition of Tasly will undoubtedly add new weight to its position in the pharmaceutical market. For CR 39, the acquisition of Tasly can not only significantly increase its market share and further consolidate its leading position in the field of traditional Chinese medicine and prescription drugs, but also help integrate the resources of the two sides and enhance the overall competitive strength. By absorbing Tasly's high-quality product lines and research and development capabilities, CR 39 is expected to achieve new breakthroughs in product development and market development. For Tasly, the transfer of part of the equity to China Resources 39 is also a strategic adjustment made in the current competitive environment of the pharmaceutical industry. Through this transaction, Tasly will receive a substantial cash injection, which will help to optimize its financial structure and alleviate possible financial pressure. At the same time, with the huge resources and market channels of China Resources 39, Tasly can better promote the layout of its products in the country and even the world, and lay a solid foundation for future sustainable development. This transaction reflects the deep consolidation and transformation that the Chinese pharmaceutical industry is undergoing. With the increasingly strict supervision of the industry and the intensification of market competition, large pharmaceutical groups continue to optimize the allocation of resources and improve the concentration of the industry through mergers and reorganizations. According to relevant data, in recent years, the number and scale of mergers and acquisitions in China's pharmaceutical industry have shown an upward trend, which undoubtedly indicates that the future competition pattern of the pharmaceutical market will be clearer, and the position of the industry leader will be more stable, which is conducive to the healthy and orderly development of the industry. The acquisition of Tasly by China Resources 39 is an important milestone for the Chinese pharmaceutical industry and will have a profound impact on both parties and the industry as a whole. This is a strong combination, but also the inevitable trend of the development of the industry, looking forward to the two sides in the future to create greater value, promote China's pharmaceutical industry to a new height.