Hangzhou-based biotech startup MindRank achieves a groundbreaking milestone in China’s pharmaceutical landscape. Its AI-designed oral weight-loss drug enters Phase 3 clinical trials as the nation’s first artificial intelligence-assisted Category 1 innovative medicine to reach this advanced stage.
Rapid Development Powered by AI
Founder and CEO Niu Zhangming reveals the drug’s journey took just four and a half years from inception—far shorter than the typical seven to 10 years. Efficiency gains from proprietary AI platforms cut overall research and development costs by at least 60%.
MindRank’s tools, including Molecule Pro for molecular design and generation, enable rapid candidate screening. Specialists define targets (often proteins linked to diseases), and AI generates promising compounds for selection—like overseeing an “automated assembly line,” Niu explains.
The drug, an oral GLP-1 receptor agonist similar to popular weight-loss treatments, shows strong Phase 2b results with significant weight reduction and favorable safety.
Milestone for China’s AI Drug Discovery
This progress positions MindRank ahead in the booming AI-pharma sector. Competitors like Insilico Medicine Hong Kong-listed pursue similar paths, but MindRank claims the first domestic Category 1 AI-assisted drug in Phase 3.
The achievement highlights China’s push for tech-driven innovation amid global competition and US restrictions on advanced chips.
Stanford computer science classes emphasize AI communication over coding 
Mercedes-Benz to accelerate localisation as China revenue slump hits 2025 profits 
International Monetary Fund warns 40% of jobs face AI impact 
NVIDIA CEO Jensen Huang Criticizes AI Doomsaying as Harmful to Industry and Society 
China Bans Dual-Use Exports Including Rare Earths to Japan Over Taiwan Remarks 
China’s DeepSeek Upgrades Chatbot with Advanced ‘Interleaved Thinking’ Feature Amid Next Model Buzz