Author: admin

CAMBRIDGE, Mass., ROTTERDAM, Netherlands and SHANGHAI, Dec. 28, 2025 /PRNewswire/ — Harbour BioMed (HKEX: 02142), a global biopharmaceutical company committed to the discovery and development of novel antibody therapeutics in immunology and oncology, today announced that it has entered into a long-term strategic collaboration with Yantai Lannacheng Biotechnology Co., Ltd. (“Lannacheng”). The two parties will leverage their respective resources and strengths to jointly advance the development of next-generation radionuclide drug conjugates (RDCs).

Compared with conventional radiotherapy, RDCs utilize tumor antigen–specific ligands to deliver radionuclides directly to tumor lesions for targeted radiotherapy, thereby effectively reducing damage to surrounding healthy tissues. In contrast to antibody–drug conjugates (ADCs), the radionuclides in RDCs can also exert cytotoxic effects on neighboring tumor cells and the tumor microenvironment, even if those cells do not express the target antigen. This mechanism offers a potential advantage in overcoming tumor heterogeneity and drug resistance. In addition, this technology holds the potential to achieve theranostics—integrating both diagnosis and treatment.

With its advanced technology platforms and deep expertise, Harbour BioMed has built a solid foundation in antibody discovery and development. The company’s proprietary Harbour Mice^® platform enables the generation of fully human monoclonal antibodies in both conventional (H2L2) and heavy chain-only (HCAb) formats, eliminating the need for additional engineering or humanization. The HCAb technology, in particular, produces unique, fully human heavy chain-only antibodies that are approximately half the size of conventional IgGs, offering significant advantages for next-generation antibody therapeutics. In the development of RDCs, fully human antibodies—characterized by low immunogenicity, superior tissue penetration, and high specificity and stability—can significantly enhance the efficiency of targeted delivery, thereby improving therapeutic efficacy while effectively reducing drug-related toxicity and side effects.

Founded in 2021, Lannacheng is a clinical-stage biotechnology company dedicated to the discovery, development, and commercialization of integrated theranostic radiopharmaceuticals for oncology. The company’s R&D engine, enhanced by its proprietary pharmacokinetic optimization and dual-targeting drug development platforms, combines target validation, radioisotope selection, and linker design to improve pharmacokinetic profiles and advance the development of dual-targeting radiopharmaceutical candidates. Its strengths are further solidified through end-to-end integration of capabilities supported by its controlling shareholder, Dongcheng Biochem, including R&D resources, a stable supply of radioisotopes, and a GMP production facility currently under construction in Yantai. Together, these elements ensure a sustainable, scalable, and rapidly innovating radiopharmaceutical pipeline.

Jingsong Wang, MD, PhD, Founder, Chairman, and CEO of Harbour BioMed, commented: “We are very pleased to establish a long-term strategic collaboration with Lannacheng to jointly advance the development of next-generation RDCs. Harbour BioMed is committed to providing efficient and highly differentiated antibody solutions for innovative therapies through our globally leading Harbour Mice^® fully human antibody platform. This collaboration will deeply integrate Harbour BioMed’s expertise in antibody discovery with Lannacheng’s strengths in radiopharmaceutical R&D and commercialization, accelerating the development of more precise, effective and safe cancer therapies and bringing new hope to patients worldwide.”

Wu Xiaoming, General Manager of Lannacheng, stated: “We are delighted to establish a long-term strategic collaboration with Harbour BioMed to jointly advance the R&D and translation of next-generation radiopharmaceuticals. Lannacheng is committed to leveraging our systematic radiopharmaceutical technology platform, comprehensive industrial capabilities, and global collaboration network to provide efficient, innovative, and differentiated integrated solutions for tumor diagnosis and treatment. This collaboration will fully combine Lannacheng’s strengths in radiopharmaceutical R&D and commercialization and Harbour BioMed’s deep expertise in antibody discovery. Together, we aim to accelerate the development of more precise, effective, and safe cancer treatment therapies, bringing new hope to patients worldwide.”

About Harbour BioMed

Harbour BioMed (HKEX: 02142) is a global biopharmaceutical company committed to the discovery and development of novel antibody therapeutics in immunology and oncology. The company is building a robust and differentiated pipeline through internal R&D capabilities, strategic global collaborations in co-discovery and co-development, and selective acquisitions.

Harbour BioMed’s proprietary antibody technology platform, Harbour Mice^®, generates fully human monoclonal antibodies in both the conventional two heavy and two light chain (H2L2) format and the heavy chain-only (HCAb) format. Building upon HCAb antibodies, the HCAb-based immune cell engagers (HBICE^®) bispecific antibody technology enables tumor-killing effects that traditional combination therapies cannot achieve. Additionally, the HCAb-based bispecific immune cell antagonist (HBICA™) technology empowers the development of innovative biologics for immunological and inflammatory diseases. By integrating Harbour Mice^®, HBICE^®, and HBICA™ with a single B-cell cloning platform, Harbour BioMed has built a highly efficient and distinctive antibody discovery engine for developing next-generation therapeutic antibodies. For more information, please visit www.harbourbiomed.com.

About Yantai Lannacheng Biotechnology Co., Ltd.

Founded in 2021, Lannacheng is a clinical-stage biotechnology company dedicated to the discovery, development, and commercialization of integrated theranostic radiopharmaceuticals for oncology. The company’s R&D engine, enhanced by its proprietary pharmacokinetic optimization and dual-targeting drug development platforms, combines target validation, radioisotope selection, and linker design to improve pharmacokinetic profiles and advance the development of dual-targeting radiopharmaceutical candidates. Its strengths are further solidified through end-to-end integration of capabilities supported by its controlling shareholder, Dongcheng Biochem, including R&D resources, a stable supply of radioisotopes, and a GMP production facility currently under construction in Yantai. Together, these elements ensure a sustainable, scalable, and rapidly innovating radiopharmaceutical pipeline.

SOURCE Harbour BioMed

China’s internet regulator issued new draft rules on Saturday that aim to regulate the use of artificial intelligence “companions,” which are defined as systems that interact with humans and display “human-like traits and behavior.”

The new rules, called “Interim Measures for the Administration of Anthropomorphic Interactive Services Using Artificial Intelligence,” were issued by the Cyberspace Administration of China or CAC, and will be up for public comment until January 25, 2026, Reuters reported.

According to the CAC, the rules would be applied to any application or service that uses AI to simulate human personality traits and offer what it terms “anthropomorphic interactive services.”

The proposed regulations will require makers of AI companion apps to make it clear to their users that they’re interacting with an AI system, and not a human, through regular pop-up warnings. They must also ask users to take a break after two-hours of continuous use, the rules state. In addition, they’ll be required to create systems that can assess user’s emotions and identify if they’re becoming dependent or addicted to the AI. If they identify such a case, they’ll be required to restrict their service to the user in question.

Furthermore, AI companion apps will be required to establish an emergency protocol, so that if a user expresses thoughts about suicide or self-harm, a human will take over the interaction from the AI system.

There are a number of prohibitions in the draft document, too. It bars AI companions from endangering national security, spreading rumors and inciting “illegal religious activities,” and they’re also not allowed to use obscenities or promote violence or criminal acts. In addition, chatbots must be prevented from encouraging self-harm or suicide or making false promises. Controls must also be introduced to prevent chatbots from “emotional manipulation” that convinces users to make bad decisions.

The draft Chinese law comes at a time when adoption of AI companion apps is dramatically accelerating. In October, a report by the South China Morning Post revealed there are now more than 515 million generative AI users in China, resulting in growing concern about the psychological impact they have.

The market for AI companion apps has become too large and consequential for regulators to ignore, with various studies showing how they can form emotional bonds with their users and, in some cases, cause significant harm. Earlier this year, a Frontiers in Psychology study showed that 45.8% of Chinese university students reported using AI chatbots in the last 30 days, and those that did so exhibited significantly higher levels of depression compared to non-users.

China isn’t the only country that’s stepped in to try and regulate the use of AI companions. In the U.S., California became the first state to pass similar legislation, when Governor Gavin Newsom signed Senate Bill 243 into law in October. That bill, which will take effect on January 1, requires app makers to remind minors every three hours that they’re speaking to an AI system and not a human, and urge them to take a break.

The SB 243 bill also mandates companion apps to introduce age verification and prohibits them from representing themselves as healthcare professionals or showing sexually explicit images to minors. The law stipulates that individuals can sue companies for violations and seek up to $1,000 per incident in compensation, plus legal costs.

When he signed SB 243 into law, Newsom warned of the risk of AI technology exploiting, misleading and endangering children, and China’s regulatory authority has cited similar justifications for its own law. According to the CAC, the new rules will “promote the healthy development and standardized application of artificial intelligence-based anthropomorphic interactive services, safeguard national security and public interests, and protect the legitimate rights and interests of citizens, legal persons and other organizations.”

Image: SiliconANGLE/Dreamina