Recently, the National Medical Products Administration (NMPA) issued approval for propargylcysteine (ZYZ-802), a Class I innovative drug (first-in-class) developed by InnoDrug Lab. (Hong Kong) Co., Ltd., to enter the clinical research phase. As a world-leading team in hydrogen sulfide research, Academician Zhu Yizhun, founder of InnoDrug, led the team in pioneering the discovery of CSE, a key target for endogenous hydrogen sulfide production. This target was recognized by Science magazine in 2021 as one of the top ten global novel drug targets.

Based on the effective regulatory properties of hydrogen sulfide on inflammation and immune function, InnoDrug proposed CSE as a novel target for inflammation and immunotherapy. The company independently screened, designed, and synthesized the novel hydrogen sulfide donor propargylcysteine as a Class I new drug for inflammation and immunity (NMPA Center for Drug Evaluation approval number: 2025LP832). This small molecule drug candidate with a novel target and novel mechanism comprehensively enhances anti-inflammatory and immunomodulatory efficacy while reducing toxic side effects, ensuring the safety and effectiveness of clinical medication. This innovative drug marks the world’s first hydrogen sulfide donor to enter clinical research. Clinical studies will be conducted by InnoDrug Lab. (Hong Kong) Co., Ltd. and InnoDrug Pharmaceutical (Guangdong) Co., Ltd. in Hong Kong and mainland China, respectively.

It is understood that this project won the championship at the 13th China National Innovation and Entrepreneurship Competition Finals in 2024 and has received over 100 million yuan in research funding support from institutions including the National Major New Drug Development Program, National Major Basic Research Program, Macau Science and Technology Development Fund, and Hong Kong Innovation and Technology Commission. InnoDrug was invited by the Hong Kong Innovation and Technology Commission to have Chair Professor and Academician Zhu Yizhun of Macau University of Science and Technology establish this innovative project at Hong Kong Science Park. It is also the second company graduated from Hong Kong Science Park’s Incu-Bio program to receive NMPA clinical approval for an innovative drug (the first was also from Academician Zhu’s team), establishing a solid foundation for the development of Hong Kong’s original drug biomedicine industry.