ShanghaiJune 9, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — Everest Medicines (HKEX 1952.HK, “the Company”), a biopharmaceutical company focused on innovative drug R&D, clinical development, manufacturing, and commercialization, today announced an exclusive licensing agreement with Jiangsu Vcare PharmaTech Co., Ltd. (“Vcare PharmaTech”) to obtain exclusive rights for the clinical development, registration, and commercialization of Sumecigrel (formerly known as Vicagrel) in multiple Asia-Pacific countries and regions (Southeast Asia, South Korea, Australia, Hong Kong SAR, Macau SAR, and Taiwan Region). Under the agreement, Everest Medicines will pay Vcare PharmaTech an upfront payment of RMB 20 million, along with subsequent milestone payments and commercial supply payments for the partnered product. This collaboration not only enriches the Company’s cardiovascular product portfolio but also underscores Everest Medicines’ strong commitment to the Asia-Pacific market, demonstrating its continued efforts to advance regional strategy and accelerate the realization of innovative drug value.
Sumecigrel is an antiplatelet aggregation drug and a next-generation oral P2Y12 receptor antagonist, clinically developed for the treatment and prevention of atherothrombotic events such as acute coronary syndrome (ACS), ischemic stroke (IS), and peripheral artery disease (PAD). Developed as a self-originated Class 1 antithrombotic new drug by Vcare PharmaTech, it is currently advancing preparations for New Drug Application (NDA) submissions in multiple countries, including China, the United States, and Europe.
The drug design of Sumecigrel aims to address the “clopidogrel resistance” black box warning. It pioneers an optimized metabolic pathway for clopidogrel while retaining the same active metabolite, seeking to achieve a more balanced control of the “double-edged sword” of antiplatelet efficacy and bleeding risk. As a novel antiplatelet drug with faster onset, lower dosage, more stable efficacy, more controllable bleeding risk, lower metabolic burden, and broader application scenarios, Sumecigrel has the potential to be a Best-in-Class drug. It is expected to more comprehensively meet the growing demand for individualized antithrombotic therapy and become a blockbuster product in the antithrombotic market.
Everest Medicines Board Chairman Yifang Wu stated: “This licensing partnership with Vcare PharmaTech for Sumecigrel in the Asia-Pacific region is another step in the Company’s continued deepening of its Asia-Pacific strategic layout. Sumecigrel is a potential Best-in-Class next-generation oral P2Y12 receptor antagonist, demonstrating differentiated clinical advantages and expected to be a valuable addition to the Company’s cardiovascular product portfolio.
Everest Medicines will leverage its extensive clinical development experience in the Asia-Pacific region, mature registration capabilities, and localized commercialization expertise, along with its systemic advantages as an international innovative drug commercialization platform, to drive the clinical and commercial value of Sumecigrel in relevant markets. This will achieve deep synergy of both parties’ strengths and provide innovative treatment options for more patients.”
Dr. Yanchun Gong, Co-founder, Chairman, and CEO of Vcare PharmaTech, stated: “Sumecigrel, as a novel antithrombotic drug independently developed by the Company, is our first innovative drug product. This strategic partnership with Everest Medicines marks the first step in Sumecigrel’s global commercialization strategy and represents a win-win collaboration between a source-innovative drug company and an international commercialization platform.
Vcare PharmaTech, empowered by AI for differentiated source design, continuously focuses on the development of innovative drugs and leading therapies, positioning itself as a leader in the original innovation track of China’s antiplatelet field. We will accelerate the global R&D and registration process for Sumecigrel, strengthen the product’s global competitive barriers, and contribute Chinese innovation to the diagnosis and treatment of cardiovascular diseases in the Asia-Pacific region and globally.”
Cardiovascular and cerebrovascular diseases are among the leading causes of death worldwide, with related deaths significantly rising to 17.9 million in 2019, accounting for approximately 32% of total global deaths that year. Among these, about 85% of deaths were caused by myocardial infarction (a major type of acute coronary syndrome) and stroke. In 2023, deaths from cardiovascular and cerebrovascular diseases further increased to 19.2 million.
Antiplatelet drugs reduce the risk of thrombosis by inhibiting platelet activation, adhesion, and aggregation, primarily used for the prevention and treatment of atherosclerotic thrombotic diseases. Among them, P2Y12 receptor antagonists are common major antiplatelet drugs. However, existing marketed products in this class still face challenges in balancing individual efficacy differences and bleeding risk. Achieving a better clinical benefit-risk ratio remains an unmet need in this field.
As a next-generation P2Y12 receptor antagonist, Sumecigrel has completed multiple clinical trials, including Phase I, Phase II, China-US PK/PD bridging studies, and Phase III, demonstrating clinically valuable efficacy and safety. It is expected to become a superior clinical treatment option for patients with acute coronary syndrome (ACS), ischemic stroke (IS), and peripheral artery disease (PAD) in the future.
About Sumecigrel
Sumecigrel is the world’s first next-generation P2Y12 receptor antagonist proposed on the premise of “retaining the same active metabolite as clopidogrel while optimizing the metabolic pathway to resolve clopidogrel’s strong dependence on CYP2C19 genetic polymorphism metabolism.” It is clinically used to treat atherothrombotic events such as acute coronary syndrome (ACS), ischemic stroke (IS), and peripheral artery disease (PAD). It is one of the most representative achievements of Vcare PharmaTech based on the concept of “differentiated source design committed to addressing unmet clinical needs.” The drug molecular design results were published in the authoritative journal JMC of the American Chemical Society and highlighted by Nature’s subsidiary publication SciBX, being recognized as “one of the most commercially promising projects in this new drug field.” The project has been consecutively selected for national-level major science and technology projects, including the 12th Five-Year Plan, 13th Five-Year Plan, and the 2025 “Four Major Chronic Diseases” initiative. Currently in the preparation stage for multi-country NDA submissions, the product has Best-in-Class potential and broad commercial prospects, expected to disrupt the antithrombotic market landscape, which has seen no same-target iterative innovative drug launch for over a decade.
About Everest Medicines
Everest Medicines is a biopharmaceutical company focused on innovative drug R&D, clinical development, manufacturing, and commercialization, dedicated to meeting unmet medical needs in the global market. Everest Medicines’ management team possesses deep expertise and extensive experience at leading pharmaceutical companies in China and globally. The Company has a commercial-scale global manufacturing base in Jiashan, Zhejiang Province, and has established a comprehensive GMP production quality management system in accordance with Chinese, US, and EU standards.
The Company focuses on therapeutic areas including autoimmune diseases, ophthalmology, critical care, and CKM (cardiovascular, kidney, and metabolic) diseases. It has built a commercialization platform integrating a full-channel commercial system and drug lifecycle commercialization capabilities. Based on its wholly-owned global rights self-developed mRNA platform, it continues to advance existing pipelines such as mRNA in vivo CAR-T and mRNA tumor vaccines. Simultaneously, through in-licensing and ecosystem incubation of potential platforms, it expands R&D capabilities while strengthening global layout and accelerating international development. For more information, please visit the Company’s website: www.everestmedicines.com.
About Vcare PharmaTech
Founded in 2010 by professors from China Pharmaceutical University and overseas returnees, Vcare PharmaTech is a commercial-stage innovative biopharmaceutical enterprise empowered by AI for differentiated source design, continuously focusing on the development of innovative drugs and leading therapies. The Company leverages AI to empower everything from differentiated source self-initiated projects to preclinical candidate discovery, collaborative drug integrated development and green manufacturing, building a full-chain, full-lifecycle innovation system for new drug independent R&D and industrialization. It is the Nanjing Key Laboratory for AI Drug Design, the Nanjing Synthetic Biology and Flow Chemistry Engineering Technology Research Center, and a national-level key “Little Giant” enterprise specializing in new technologies.
Vcare PharmaTech focuses on differentiated solutions to unmet clinical needs, addressing areas such as overcoming treatment resistance, solving drug resistance challenges, and optimizing targeted selectivity. It has formed a tiered, high-quality, multi-field innovative drug R&D pipeline covering major and chronic diseases such as inflammation and autoimmune disorders, cardiovascular and cerebrovascular diseases, and oncology, committed to providing better treatment options for patients worldwide. For more information, please visit the Company’s website: www.vcarepharmatech.com.
Forward-Looking Statements
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