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HANGZHOU, China, Sept. 28, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- MindRank AI Ltd. ("MindRank") today announced that it has entered into a strategic commercialization agreement with Zhejiang Sunshine Mandi Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd. ("Mandi") and Zhejiang Wansheng Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd. ("Wansheng"), both subsidiaries of 3SBio Inc. (01530.HK) group, for MDR-001, an AI-designed oral small-molecule GLP-1 receptor agonist in a pivotal Phase 3 trial in China for obesity and overweight. The collaboration covers mainland China, Hong Kong and Macau, with a total potential transaction value of up to RMB 1.75 billion (USD 260 million).

Under the agreement, Mandi and Wansheng will leverage their mature commercial capabilities to provide exclusive commercialization services for MDR-001 across all channels following regulatory approval and launch. MindRank will remain the Marketing Authorization Holder and all rights in the product's intellectual property, and will continue to advance clinical development, registration, manufacturing, and supply of the product. MindRank will receive RMB 150 million upfront and milestone payments tied to clinical development, regulatory approval and commercialization. Upon achievement of agreed conditions, MindRank will be eligible for up to RMB 1.6 billion in additional milestone payments.

MDR-001 is discovered and developed using MindRank's proprietary AI-native R&D engine, Molecule Arts Platform (MAP). The drug candidate moved from initiation to Phase III in only 4.5 years, with an R&D spend of $23 million, putting a spotlight on MAP's potential to dramatically lower drug development cost versus traditional approaches. In its phase 2b trial, mean body weight reductions after 24 weeks ranged from 8.2% to 10.3% in MDR-001 cohorts; between 34.5% and 48.1% achieved at least 10% weight loss. MDR-001 avoided the safety problems that scuttled Pfizer's oral GLP-1 program, reporting no evidence of transaminase elevation, even among the roughly 20% of participants with pre-existing liver impairment. Except for good tolerability with no heart rate increase and only 0.8% discontinuations, the drug also improved key cardiometabolic markers like blood pressure and lipid profiles.

Zhangming Niu, Founder and Chief Executive Officer of MindRank, stated: "We appreciate our partners' confidence in MDR-001. 3SBio brings brings strong commercial capabilities and deep GLP-1 market expertise. Mandi's hair-loss business is growing rapidly, reflecting its strengths in brand building, digital operations and channel development. Together, we will combine MindRank's AI-driven R&D capabilities with Mandi's commercialization strength to accelerate MDR-001 toward market and explore new AI-enabled models for commercial operations."

Jing Lou, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of 3SBio, stated: "We are pleased to partner with MindRank. MDR-001 has generated solid clinical data, and weight management is one of Mandi's three strategic focus areas, alongside hair and sleep management. MindRank’s AI-driven drug R&D capabilities are highly complementary to Mandi’s consumer healthcare portfolio, with MDR-001 being a particularly strong fit. Together, we look forward to advancing MDR-001 and bringing a new treatment option to people living with obesity or overweight."

About MindRank

MindRank is a leading clinical-stage, AI-native biotechnology company dedicated to advancing innovative drug discovery and development through machine learning, reinforcement learning and first-principles calculations. Its proprietary, integrated AI platform brings together biology, structural biology, chemistry and medicine to push the boundaries of pharmaceutical innovation, develop treatments for more diseases and help more people regain their health.

For more information, visit www.mindrank.ai.
For BD inquiries, contact bd@mindrank.ai.
For PR inquiries, contact pr@mindrank.ai.

A photo accompanying this announcement is available at https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/bf1121d9-1dfc-4d0b-837c-ffd089043e14