InnoCare Pharma (HKEX: 09969) announced today that the company has received Investigational New Drug (IND) approval of clinical trial from the NMPA (National Medical Products Administration) for its TYK2 JH2 allosteric inhibitor ICP-488, which is the Company's third innovative drug for the treatment of autoimmune diseases to enter the clinical stage.

ICP-488 is a potent and selective TYK2 (tyrosine kinase 2) allosteric inhibitor that, by binding the JH2 domain, blocks the signal transduction of IL-23, IL-12, type 1 IFN and other inflammatory cytokine, thereby inhibiting the pathological process of autoimmune and inflammatory diseases.

InnoCare discovered ICP-488 internally. As a novel oral TYK2 allosteric inhibitor, ICP-488 will be developed for the treatment of autoimmune diseases such as psoriasis and inflammatory bowel disease (IBD).

Dr. Jasmine Cui, the co-founder, Chairwoman and CEO of InnoCare said, “There is a large unmet clinical need for the treatment of autoimmune diseases worldwide. InnoCare has built a strong pipeline in autoimmune diseases. With the approval of ICP-488 for clinical trials, InnoCare will further strengthen its autoimmune disease pipeline and provide better treatment options for patients with autoimmune diseases worldwide.”

About InnoCare

InnoCare is a commercial stage biopharmaceutical company committed to discovering, developing, and commercializing first-in-class and/or best-in-class drugs for the treatment of cancer and autoimmune diseases. We strategically focus on lymphoma, solid tumors, and autoimmune diseases with high unmet medical needs in China and worldwide. InnoCare has branches in Beijing, Nanjing, Shanghai, Guangzhou, Hong Kong,China, New Jersey and Boston.