click
Contact
  • Category: Corporate News

From Shanghai Jiao Tong University Lab toward IND: Medicilon Accelerates PentoGen’s Oligonucleotide Pipeline

Facebook
LinkedIn
November 5, marking Medicilon’s 7th IPO anniversary, Medicilon entered a strategic collaboration agreement with PentoGen. The two parties will jointly conduct preclinical pharmacokinetic and safety assessments for PentoGen’s oligonucleotide pipeline targeting metabolic disorders. Medicilon will deliver one-stop services covering preclinical studies and IND-enabling support to advance academic-originated innovations toward clinical development.
November 5, marking Medicilon’s 7th IPO anniversary, Medicilon entered a strategic collaboration agreement with PentoGen.
November 5, marking Medicilon’s 7th IPO anniversary, Medicilon entered a strategic collaboration agreement with PentoGen.

From Lab to IND: The Critical Leap of University Technology Transfer

Founded in January 2026, PentoGen was co-founded by distinguished investigators from Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine and seasoned drug development professionals.
Building on two decades of fundamental research, the team develops oligonucleotide therapeutics via a novel energy-modulating mechanism to address unmet medical needs in metabolic diseases. Its lead programs target obesity and metabolic dysfunction-associated steatohepatitis (MASH), following a translational path from basic mechanistic findings to candidate molecules.

Dr. Chunlin Chen, Chairman and CEO of Medicilon

” Universities and research institutions are the source of innovative drugs. As a former professor myself, I know firsthand how difficult the road from laboratory discovery to clinical candidate can be. Medicilon supports academic teams in realizing the 0 to 1 translation of drug candidates. PentoGen’s program offers a scientifically differentiated approach within metabolic oligonucleotide therapeutics, and Medicilon is ready to serve as the bridge leading this promising science to IND submission.”

Prof. Bin Li, Professor,Co-founder of PentoGen

” Advancing our two pipelines from fundamental research to PCC would not have been possible without our long-term work on cellular energy metabolism. Translating basic science into drug development requires continuous scientific exploration as well as conversion of original findings into regulatory-compliant dossiers. As our partner, Medicilon will collaborate closely on study design and implementation to turn scientific potential into regulatory feasibility. Moving forward, the two teams will leverage complementary strengths: PentoGen will continue pipeline advancement and data generation while working with Medicilon on subsequent R&D and regulatory filings.”

As the Metabolic Disease Oligonucleotide Field Heats Up, CRO Capabilities Become a Key Variable in Translation Efficiency
Since 2026, deal-making and partnerships in metabolic disease oligonucleotides have continued to accelerate, with MASH and weight management emerging as the two most closely watched directions after rare diseases. The maturation of liver-targeted GalNAc delivery has moved oligonucleotide programs beyond proof of concept into preclinical engineering, raising requirements for rigorous, standardized evaluation of pharmacokinetics, tissue distribution, immunogenicity and toxicology.
Medicilon has established an integrated oligonucleotide platform spanning drug discovery, CMC and preclinical research, supported by a dedicated oligonucleotide team. Multiple siRNA FTE projects have been completed or in progress. Under this partnership, Medicilon will perform preclinical pharmacokinetic and safety assessments in compliance with NMPA and FDA filing requirements, and help compile preclinical documentation required for IND applications.

Industry–Academia Collaboration: Extending Services Upstream and Building an Innovation Ecosystem

What makes this partnership distinctive is that it goes beyond a conventional CRO service contract. In recent years, Medicilon has invested continuously in industry–academia collaboration, exploring integrated models of “university technology transfer + full-chain development services” and “program + platform.” The partnership with PentoGen represents a further step of this ecosystem into the frontier of metabolic disease oligonucleotides.
For PentoGen, Medicilon is not merely a service provider but a guarantee of development efficiency during the critical IND filing window. For Medicilon, deep engagement with original early-stage programs extends our role from executing preclinical studies to participating throughout the translation journey. As the CRO industry shifts focus from capacity to technical expertise, this integrated collaboration creates distinct competitive advantages.
The signing coincides with Medicilon’s seventh anniversary of listing on the STAR Market. Since 2019, Medicilon has served over 2,000 clients and supported nearly 700 IND clearances. Through this metabolic oligonucleotide partnership, Medicilon continues to evolve its industry-academia ecosystem from service delivery toward value co-creation, empowering more early-stage innovations.
Contact

Search Medicilon

Preclinical CRO

7th Anniversary Q&A 5: How to Break Global Regulatory Barriers and Achieve One Single Study for Multi‑Country IND Filings?

Read more
Preclinical CRO

7th Anniversary Q&A 4: From Isolated Capabilities to a Symbiotic Ecosystem — How Is Medicilon Building a New Drug Innovation Ecosystem?

Read more
Preclinical CRO

From Shanghai Jiao Tong University Lab toward IND: Medicilon Accelerates PentoGen’s Oligonucleotide Pipeline

Read more

Contact Medicilon

Name(Required)
Address(Required)