Hong Kong biotech start-up Alephoson eyes global trial for eye-drug delivery
Alephoson Biopharmaceuticals, established in 2019, has developed a technology to combine a proprietary cell-penetration peptide (CPP) compound with biologic medication that is currently used to treat age-related macular degeneration (AMD) and diabetes-related macular edema (DME). If planned clinical trials are successful, this could result in the commercialisation of a medication that can be administered via eyedrops instead of an injection into the cavity at the back of the eye, according to Benjamin Lee, a founder and CEO of Alephoson, which is based in the Hong Kong Science and Technology Park .
'As a research-and-development-focused company, we are forging partnerships with university hospitals in Hong Kong, mainland China, Asia and the United States on our planned clinical trials,' Lee said.
'Upon completion of a preclinical toxicity study in around 12 months, our target is to request authorisation from the US Food and Drug Administration to conduct Phase 1 and 2a investigational drug trials by the first quarter of next year.'
The idea of using CPP as a drug delivery system originated from Professor Wei Gang, an Alephoson co-founder, who is deputy director of the Department of Pharmaceutics at Shanghai's Fudan University.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
South China Morning Post
5 hours ago
- South China Morning Post
New head of Hong Kong Hospital Authority pledges to cut wait times, queues
The new head of Hong Kong's public hospitals has pledged to slash waiting times and the number of queues for patients while considering extending the operating hours of general outpatient clinics operated by authorities. Libby Lee Ha-yun, who takes over on Friday as the new chief executive of the Hospital Authority, also said she hoped to deliver medical services with 'warmth' during her term. 'In the past few years, we have seen a certain level of fatigue over the hospitals' waiting time and medical incidents. In the future, I hope we can dissolve the fatigue with our warmth,' she told the press. 'We hope that the warmth can bring mutual respect and care for everyone. We hope to design our medical services from the patients' perspective.' Lee said she aimed to use technology to streamline the process of patients queuing at public hospitals. 'For example, when patients visit our specialist outpatient clinics, is it necessary to queue four times respectively for the doctor, medicine, booking the next appointment, and an X-ray scan or a blood test?' she asked.
South China Morning Post
13-07-2025
- South China Morning Post
A few small steps for Hong Kong, a giant leap for China's space sector
The idea that Hong Kong could play a leading role in the global space economy was greeted with scepticism when I raised the possibility with Chief Executive John Lee Ka-chiu earlier this month. However, critics fail to realise that space technologies have permeated many aspects of our lives – from checking the weather and ordering our meals on our mobile phones to navigating our daily commutes and settling stock transactions in real time. A report published by the American consultancy firm McKinsey in 2024 forecast that the space economy will grow at a much faster rate than the global economy and will reach US$1.8 trillion by 2035, up from US$630 billion in 2023. Space is no longer the exclusive domain of state-led space missions. New interest in space travel, space manufacturing, the mining of critical resources from the moon, Mars, asteroids and the launch of small satellites and mega constellations in low Earth orbit has fuelled a boom in investing in space-related hardware and software, including in China. The China Research and Development Institute estimates that, in 2025, private investment in the aerospace industry will have risen from 12 per cent of aggregate investment in 2020 to 45 per cent in 2025. The skyrocketing of private investment in aerospace industries is catapulted by technological advancement, lower manufacturing costs and state support for the private sector. Stellar examples of private aerospace enterprises include the Beijing-based company i-Space, also known as Space Honor, a manufacturer of satellite orbital launchers. The company is the first private aerospace company in China to put a rocket into orbit. LandSpace, also based in Beijing, is another success story. The company is the maker of the Zhuque-2 rocket, the first launch vehicle fuelled by methane and liquid oxygen to reach orbit.
RTHK
26-06-2025
- RTHK
Education sector must keep up with the times: CE
Education sector must keep up with the times: CE Chief Executive John Lee says the government is actively strengthening national education and deepening patriotic education efforts. Photo courtesy of Information Services Department Chief Executive John Lee said on Thursday that the education sector must innovate and keep up with the times amid unprecedented and rapid changes in the world, as Hong Kong strives to become a hub for talent from around the world. Citing the establishment of the Education, Technology and Talent Committee by the government last year, Lee said the body coordinates and promotes the integrated development of those areas, as well as formulates policies to foster talent cultivation, talent attraction and technological synergy. Speaking at an awards ceremony for teachers, Lee also stressed the government is actively strengthening national education and deepening patriotic education efforts. "This year marks the 80th anniversary of the victory in the Chinese People's War of Resistance Against Japanese Aggression and the World Anti-Fascist War. The Education Bureau is actively organising activities such as academic seminars, thematic lectures, school exhibitions, competitions and field trips, to ensure the education sector and students remember history and honour the sacrifices of the martyrs, and to boost a sense of love for the country and the family among the academic community," Lee said.
