Shanghai, November 15, 2023 - Shanghai Ark Biopharmaceutical Co., Ltd. (hereinafter referred to as "ArkBio") and WuXi AppTec signed a strategic cooperation agreement and jointly announced the comprehensive cooperation in the field of innovation drug research and development.

ArkBio, as an innovative biopharmaceutical company, has a layout of multiple new drug products for the unmet clinical needs in the fields of pediatric diseases, respiratory and pulmonary diseases. In this strategic cooperation, multiple business departments of WuXi AppTec will provide ArkBio with one-stop services that meet international standards with a comprehensive and integrated new drug research and development and enabling platform.

Dr. Jim Wu, Chairman of Board and CEO of ArkBio, Dr. Yuan Haiqing, Chief Operating Officer of ArkBio, Dr. Yang Qing, Co-CEO of WuXi AppTec, and Ms. Xu Hui, Vice President and Head of China Operations and Business Development of the Testing Division of WuXi AppTec, jointly attended this signing ceremony.

Dr. Jim Wu, Chairman of Board and CEO of ArkBio, said: "ArkBio has always been committed to the research and development of innovative drugs with high clinical value. I am very glad to reach a comprehensive strategic cooperation with WuXi AppTec, an important partner for many years. Both sides will leverage our respective resource advantages to advance drug development and bring more innovative drug products to the market, benefiting the public as soon as possible."

Dr. Yang Qing, Co-CEO of WuXi AppTec, said: "The signing of this strategic cooperation agreement is a deepening of the previous successful cooperation between the two sides and is another powerful manifestation of WuXi AppTec's integrated, end-to-end services continuously winning customer recognition. We hope that through the continuous improvement of the enabling platform capabilities and scale construction, we can help global customers accelerate the research and development process and benefit a large number of patients as soon as possible."

About ArkBio·

ArkBio is a global biotech company focusing on discovery and development of innovative drugs for unmet medical needs, especially in the therapeutic areas of respiratory, infectious and pediatric diseases. Since its inception in 2014, the company has established core technology platforms and built an innovative and highly differentiated R&D pipeline through in-house R&D efforts and external collaborations. This strong R&D pipeline program includes innovative clinical and pre-clinical stage drug candidates with first- or best-in-class potential for global clinical development. As one of the core assets, ziresovir is the first direct-acting RSV antiviral drug that has been developed by ArkBio. 

ArkBio has established strategic partnerships with several global pharmaceutical companies and academic institutes, including Roche, Genentech, the Scripps Research Institute, the Institute of Microbiology of Chinese Academy of Sciences, domestic and international biotechnology companies, as well as venture investment institutions. 

For more information about the company, please visit our website: www.arkbiosciences.com

Investor Inquiries：IR@arkbiosciences.com

About WuXi AppTec·

WuXi AppTec (Stock Code: 603259.SH/2359.HK) provides integrated, end-to-end research and development and manufacturing services for the global biopharmaceutical industry, with operational bases in Asia, Europe, North America, and other regions. Through its unique "CRDMO" (Contract Research, Development, and Manufacturing Organization) and "CTDMO" (Contract Testing, Development, and Manufacturing Organization) business models, WuXi AppTec continuously lowers the barriers to R&D, assists clients in enhancing R&D efficiency, and brings more breakthrough treatment options to patients. Its service scope covers the R&D and manufacturing of chemical drugs, biological research, preclinical testing, and clinical trial development, as well as R&D, testing, and manufacturing of cell and gene therapies. In 2023, WuXi AppTec was rated AA in ESG (Environmental, Social, and Governance) by MSCI. Currently, the company's enabling platform is supporting over 6,000 R&D innovation projects from more than 30 countries worldwide, committed to bringing more new and effective medicines to patients globally and realizing the vision of "making the world a place where there are no difficult-to-make medicines or hard-to-treat diseases."