BlueRun Ventures Continues to Double Down as QLT Biotherapeutics Closes Over RMB 500 Million Series C Round | BlueRun Family
Accelerate core clinical pipeline development
Beijing Zhitai Biomedical Technology Co., Ltd. (hereinafter referred to as "Zhitai Bio") is a late-stage biotechnology company focused on developing innovative therapeutics for chronic metabolic diseases. Recently, Zhitai Bio announced the completion of a Series C financing round exceeding RMB 500 million. This round was led by Aobo Capital (OrbiMed), with participation from Qiming Venture Partners, a prominent industry fund, 5Y Capital, Xingze Capital, and Huagai Capital. Existing shareholders including BlueRun Ventures continued to increase their stakes. BlueRun Ventures led Zhitai Bio's Series B financing round of over RMB 100 million in March 2023, and has subsequently added to its investment across multiple rounds to support the company's growth.
BlueRun Ventures stated that Zhitai Bio has consistently pursued differentiated innovation, advancing monthly-dosage formulations, oral medications, and long-acting multi-target drugs simultaneously. In particular, its globally leading monthly-dosage GLP-1 product offers a unique advantage in extended dosing intervals, and its excellent Phase 2 clinical data further demonstrate this molecule's distinctive compliance benefits. We look forward to Zhitai advancing this product to become the world's first approved monthly-dosage GLP-1 product, establishing the company as a significant player in the global weight management sector.
Zhitai Bio has pursued a differentiated strategy in ultra-long-acting formulations, oral peptides, and multi-target approaches for chronic metabolic diseases, addressing diverse clinical patient needs. The convergence of these innovative technologies is expected to shape future treatment trends in this therapeutic area. Its flagship product, the innovative GLP-1RA monthly formulation — Zoviglutide (ZT002) injection — is currently undergoing Phase III clinical trials for weight reduction in China (the HORIZON-1 study), with potential to become the world's first approved once-monthly GLP-1 peptide. In prior Phase II trials, Zoviglutide demonstrated competitive efficacy and tolerability, with body weight reduction of up to 13.8% at week 24 without plateauing, and gastrointestinal adverse event-related discontinuation rates approaching zero. According to CIC, GLP-1RA monthly formulations are expected to shift the weight-loss treatment paradigm from weekly to monthly administration, substantially improving patient compliance, and are projected to capture approximately 26% of the global USD 209.5 billion GLP-1 drug market by 2035. Meanwhile, the innovative oral peptide GLP-1 receptor agonist ZT006 tablet is in Phase II clinical trials for weight reduction in China; and the innovative GLP-1/FGF21 dual-target agonist ZT003 injection is in Phase I clinical trials in Australia. The company's semaglutide biosimilar ZT001 has established partnerships with Tonghua Dongbao and Imeik for diabetes and weight-loss indications respectively, jointly advancing clinical development and commercialization. Currently, Zhitai Bio has established four technology platforms focused on metabolic diseases: the QLLong ultra-long-acting technology platform, the QLOral oral peptide technology platform, the QLFold high-efficiency inclusion body protein refolding technology platform, and the QLFusion fusion protein technology platform, covering the entire recombinant protein production process. With the approval of its commercial manufacturing facility's production license, Zhitai Bio now possesses a full industrial chain spanning early-stage drug R&D, pilot-scale production, and commercial manufacturing. With the support of this financing round, Zhitai Bio will continue to increase R&D investment, accelerate clinical development and regulatory filings across its pipeline, and further expand its presence in chronic metabolic diseases to bring better therapeutics to patients sooner. Xujia Zhang, Founder, Chairman, and CEO of Zhitai Bio, expressed deep gratitude to new and existing shareholders for their strong recognition of and steadfast commitment to the company. This trust serves as both the confidence driving the company forward and an inexhaustible source of motivation for continued innovation. Since its founding, Zhitai Bio has remained patient-centered and innovation-driven, deeply committed to the chronic metabolic disease space. The company has built an independent intellectual property E. coli production platform, established a globally competitive GLP-1 pipeline matrix centered on ultra-long-acting, oral, and multi-target approaches, and developed sustained capabilities in innovative iteration and clinical execution. Today, with Zoviglutide successfully advancing to Phase III weight-loss trials and steady progress on ZT006, ZT003, and other pipeline assets, every milestone reflects the dedication of all employees and the unwavering support of shareholders old and new. Going forward, the company will continue to leverage its core advantages in technology, cost, and manufacturing capacity, accelerate clinical development, regulatory filings, and commercialization, and — rooted in China, with a global outlook — strive to provide more accessible, more effective, and more competitive treatment options for patients with chronic metabolic diseases, in return for investors' trust, support, and partnership.
BlueRun Ventures Leads Zhitai Bio's Series B Financing of Over RMB 100 Million | BlueRun Family
