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Immuno Cure’s Anti-Δ42PD1 Antibody Project Awarded HKSAR Government’s RAISe+ Scheme Funding

  • Written by Daily Sun


From left to right: Dr. Li LIU, Scientific Officer of AIDS Institute of the University of Hong Kong; Mr. Tom LAU, Co-Founder of Immuno Cure; Dr. Percy CHENG, Chairman and Co-Founder of Immuno Cure; Professor Zhiwei CHEN, Director of AIDS Institute and Chair Professor of the Department of Microbiology of the University of Hong Kong, and Principal Scientific Advisor of Immuno Cure; Professor Nancy Kwan MAN, Chair Professor of the Department of Surgery, University of Hong Kong; Mr. Fred LI, Senior Executive Director of Gobi Partners GBA; Dr. Xia JIN, CEO and Co-Founder of Immuno Cure
From left to right: Dr. Li LIU, Scientific Officer of AIDS Institute of the University of Hong Kong; Mr. Tom LAU, Co-Founder of Immuno Cure; Dr. Percy CHENG, Chairman and Co-Founder of Immuno Cure; Professor Zhiwei CHEN, Director of AIDS Institute and Chair Professor of the Department of Microbiology of the University of Hong Kong, and Principal Scientific Advisor of Immuno Cure; Professor Nancy Kwan MAN, Chair Professor of the Department of Surgery, University of Hong Kong; Mr. Fred LI, Senior Executive Director of Gobi Partners GBA; Dr. Xia JIN, CEO and Co-Founder of Immuno Cure

RAISe+ Scheme, launched in October 2023 by the Innovation and Technology Commission ("ITC"), aims to unleash the potential of local universities in the transformation and commercialisation of R&D outcomes, and to facilitate the collaboration among the Government, industries, universities, and research sectors. The Scheme provides each selected project a maximum funding support of HK$100 million on a matching basis.

The project, titled "Research and Development of the Lead Δ42PD1 Antibody Drug as an Immunotherapy against Cancers and Infections", will be led by Professor Zhiwei Chen, Director of the AIDS Institute and Chair Professor of the Department of Microbiology, School of Clinical Medicine, LKS Faculty of Medicine of the University of Hong Kong ("HKU"), and carried out together with his HKU team via the establishment of the start-up company Orimmune. Supporting by the collaboration between HKU AIDS Institute, Immuno Cure, InnoHK's Centre of Virology, Vaccinology and Therapeutics and Gobi Partners GBA, the project team will bring the lead antibody candidate against HCC from preclinical stage to Phase 2 clinical trial stage and identify other Δ42PD1-associated cancers and infections within the 5-year RAISe+ project period.

∆42PD1 is a novel PD-1 isoform recently discovered by Professor Zhiwei Chen and his research team at the HKU. It is a key immune regulator for promoting HCC pathogenesis and escaping current immune checkpoint therapy. It is therefore a critical therapeutic target for HCC, and the anti-∆42PD1 monoclonal antibody, CH101, has a great potential to be developed as a therapeutic drug for HCC. These findings have resulted in two patents filed and registered by HKU, which were exclusively licensed to Immuno Cure in 2018 and 2023 respectively.

Prof. Zhiwei CHEN, Director of AIDS Institute of HKU and the Principal Scientific Advisor of Immuno Cure, said, "We are thrilled to receive such significant funding from ITC's RAISe+ Scheme to accelerate the clinical development of the Anti-∆42PD1 Antibody in liver cancer, and to explore other potential clinical applications. This will bring us one step closer towards the commercialisation of novel Δ42PD1-blocking antibody drugs."

Dr. Xia JIN, CEO of Immuno Cure, said, "We are privileged and grateful to be awarded with this RAISe+ Scheme funding in support of the translational process. This recognition further validates and supports the development of our anti-Δ42PD1 technology platform. This ITC's funding will allow us to accelerate the development and implementation of this transformative initiative, positioning us as pioneers in our industry."

Dr. Percy CHENG, Chairman of Immuno Cure, concludes, "We are proud to be the industry partner of this project. Being selected into the RAISe+ Scheme is a great honor to us, this achievement is a testament to our collective efforts, dedication, and unwavering commitment to excellence. RAISe+ is an important milestone of the development of innovation in Hong Kong. We are grateful and excited for this opportunity given by ITC to make this transformation possible and make an impact to our society."

Hashtag: #ImmunoCure #醫克生物 #医克生物



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About Immuno Cure

Immuno Cure is a clinical stage biotechnology group based in the Hong Kong Science Park, focusing on research and development of immunotherapies for cancers, inflammatory and infectious diseases based on its patented PD-1-enhanced DNA vaccine and Anti-Δ42PD1 Antibody platforms; with two DNA vaccine candidates currently in clinical trials.

To learn more about Immuno Cure BioTech, please visit .

About The University of Hong Kong and AIDS Institute of HKUMed

The University of Hong Kong (HKU), founded in 1911, is the first and oldest institution of higher learning in Hong Kong. HKU has an established worldwide reputation for being a research-led comprehensive university. The AIDS Institute of HKU was established in November 2007 to take HKU in a new strategic direction in fighting this global epidemic and help to make it a leader in the region in AIDS research, education and prevention. Scientists at the AIDS Institute are fully committed to conducting basic and applied research that facilitates the understanding of AIDS pathogenesis and the development of effective AIDS vaccines. Currently, the Institute is leading the Hong Kong Theme-based Research Scheme entitled "Potentiating Host Immunity for HIV-1 Functional Cure".

To learn more about HKU and AIDS Institute of HKU, please visit and

About the Centre of Virology, Vaccinology and Therapeutics

The Centre for Virology, Vaccinology and Therapeutics (CVVT) was established in 2020 in collaboration with the University of Hong Kong at the Hong Kong Science and Technology Park. As one of the Health@InnoHK initiatives funded by the Innovation and Technology Commission, CVVT aims to develop the critical base of knowledge and transform impactful research discoveries into practical applications for the control and prevention of infectious diseases.

To learn more about the Centre of Virology, Vaccinology and Therapeutics, please visit

About Gobi GBA

Gobi Partners GBA (Gobi GBA) was established in 2016 as a part of the leading Pan-Asian venture capital platform Gobi Partners. Gobi GBA is the general partner of the Alibaba Hong Kong Entrepreneurs Fund, L.P.（AEF）as well as the AEF Greater Bay Area Fund LPF, and has formed strategic partnerships with other renowned financial institutions such as HSBC and Hang Seng Bank.

As of now, Gobi GBA has invested in over 80 startups across the Greater Bay Area and has fostered the growth of 8 unicorns including Airwallex, Amber, Animoca Brands, GoGoX, Prenetics, and more.

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