Guangming firm completes phase I trial of innovative AD drug

Braegen Pharmaceutical, a biotech company based in Shenzhen’s Guangming Science City, recently announced the successful completion of a Phase I clinical trial for its innovative Alzheimer’s treatment BrAD-R13.

The milestone marks an important step toward finding new ways to treat one of the world’s most challenging diseases.

Alzheimer’s disease (AD), often known as dementia, gradually damages the brain, causing memory loss, confusion, and difficulties in daily life. It affects more than 50 million people worldwide, a number expected to triple by 2050. China has the largest number of patients, with about 12 million today, and estimates suggest that number could rise to 30 million within 25 years.

Despite the urgent need, progress in developing new drugs has been painfully slow. Over the past three decades, only a handful of medicines have been approved, most of which provide only limited relief.

BrAD-R13 is the first medicine of its kind to reach the clinical stage. Unlike most existing treatments, it is taken as a simple oral tablet, which makes it easier for elderly patients to use over the long term.

Instead of only easing symptoms, the drug is designed to tackle the underlying damage in the brain. Early results show that it may help protect brain cells, improve memory and learning, and slow down the harmful processes that cause the disease to worsen.

The company will now begin larger trials to test how well the drug works and whether it is safe for long-term use.

Founded in 2015, the company relocated its headquarters from Shanghai to Shenzhen’s Brain Science and Technology Innovation Center in Guangming Science City in 2024. 

The Brain Science and Technology Innovation Center. File photo

Dr. Liu Chaoyang, vice president of Braegen, summarized the journey as a process of “0-to-1 research in universities, and 1-to-10 translation at the brain innovation center.” The company’s chief scientist and founder, Prof. Ye Keqiang of Shenzhen University of Advanced Technology (SUAT), leads a team that blends strong academic backgrounds with practical industry experience. This “scientist + entrepreneur” model, Liu noted, ensures both the depth of research and the feasibility of clinical application.

A new model driving innovation

SUAT has played a central role in Braegen’s progress. The university advocates the concept of a “fourth-type university,” which moves beyond traditional teaching and research to embrace a mission-driven, problem-oriented, and collaborative model of higher education. By encouraging cross-disciplinary cooperation, applying cutting-edge technologies, bringing in industry mentors, and opening up research platforms, SUAT has broken away from the conventional “publish or perish” approach.

“If not for this kind of university innovation,” Liu said, “many research results might have stayed in the laboratory forever.” The supportive ecosystem at SUAT provided a strong foundation for Braegen’s early development.

Full support from Guangming’s innovation hub

Since moving to the Brain Innovation Center, Braegen has benefited from a full life-cycle support system, with integrated services across six key areas: the innovation chain, industry chain, financial chain, talent chain, service chain, and policy chain. This model offers companies facilities, technology, capital, and expertise in a one-stop environment.

Notably, Braegen’s story is not unique. Of the more than 40 companies based in the brain innovation center, nearly a quarter originated from university research. The “scientist + entrepreneur” dual-driving model is fast becoming the hallmark of innovation in Guangming Science City, turning academic breakthroughs into commercial and clinical realities.