The project titled “PD-001R: A First-in-Class Candidate for the Treatment of Neurodegenerative Diseases”, led by Prof. Simon LEE Ming-yuen—Cally Kwong Mei Wan Professor in Biomedical Sciences and Chinese Medicine Innovation, Chair Professor at the Department of Food Science and Nutrition (FSN), The Hong Kong Polytechnic University, and Founder of PolyU spin-off AIM Pharmaceutical International Limited—in collaboration with Dr. ZHAO Chen, Postdoctoral Fellow at FSN, has been awarded both the Prize of the Korea Invention Promotion Association and a Gold Medal at an international innovation exhibition.
PD-001R is a novel small-molecule drug candidate derived from Alpinia oxyphylla Fructus. It uniquely promotes the degradation of pathological α-synuclein aggregates—a key pathological feature of Parkinson’s disease—and has demonstrated strong oral bioavailability and the ability to cross the blood-brain barrier, overcoming major challenges in central nervous system drug development.
This breakthrough exemplifies the power of interdisciplinary research bridging food science, traditional Chinese medicine, biomedical innovation, and translational medicine. The global recognition underscores PolyU’s leadership in pioneering therapeutics for unmet medical needs.
Heartfelt congratulations to Prof. Lee and Dr. Zhao for this outstanding achievement, which brings distinguished international acclaim to the Department and reflects our shared commitment to research excellence at the frontiers of science and health innovation.
