META Pharmaceuticals Inc. announces the Closing of Series A1 Financing to accelerate AI-Driven Drug Development

Hong Kong – META Pharmaceuticals Inc. ("META "), a clinical-stage biotech company pioneering innovations in immunometabolism, announced the successful closing of its Series A1 financing round on February 17. The round was led by XtalPi (Stock Code: 2228.HK), with participation from IMO Ventures and Yael Capital. Proceeds will accelerate the clinical advancement of two lead drug candidates and expand the development of its proprietary AI-powered metabolic enzyme target discovery platform, driving breakthroughs in novel therapeutic targets across multiple indications.

META’s two most advanced pipelines include a small-molecule targeted therapy for autoimmune diseases and a small-molecule inhibitor for Primary Hyperoxaluria. Primary Hyperoxaluria inhibitor, empowered by XtalPi’s AI + robotics R&D platform, has received Orphan Drug Designation (ODD) and Pediatric Rare Disease Designation (RPDD) from the U.S. FDA. The company anticipates the completion of Investigational New Drug (IND) filing and the initiation of early clinical trials within the next one to two years.

Founded in August 2021 by a team of scientists from Weill Cornell Medicine and Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, META combines deep expertise in immunology and metabolism to develop precision therapies that modulate immune function and systemic metabolism. With labs in Hong Kong and Shenzhen, the company builds a lean and interdisciplinary R&D team backed by the talent and ecosystem advantages of the Greater Bay Area.

Strategic Collaboration and Platform Development - AI + Drug Discovery
META will deepen its collaboration with XtalPi to accelerate clinical translation while advancing its multi-omics AI platform to sustain innovation upon the closing of this round financing. The company plans to continue expanding its global footprint in both immnometabolism and rare diseases, and to enhance innovation capabilities and establish competitive barriers.
The funds raised will support the expansion of the R&D team, leveraging the Greater Bay Area's robust talent pool and IT + BT industry ecosystem to enhance the company's independent innovation capabilities and maintain its leadership in immunometabolism and rare disease research.

Addressing Unmet Needs in Pediatric Rare Kidney Disease
In the context of the globalization of biopharmaceuticals, META is committed to developing new drugs and treatment technologies for primary hyperoxaluria. META’s rare disease pipeline is expected to accelerate the provision of more effective and affordable treatment options for pediatric patients worldwide, improving their quality of life and alleviating the medical burden on families and society. This will enhance the reputation of China's new drug R&D industry, promote the development of the rare disease sector in China, and elevate the company's global competitiveness and influence.

Future Challenges and Opportunities: Pioneering First-in-Class Immunometabolism Drugs for Autoimmune Diseases
META is dedicated to becoming a global leader in immunometabolism therapy and a contributor to China's first-in-class new drugs. The company will continue to advance its R&D efforts to explore treatments for more immunometabolism-related diseases, further solidifying its leading position in the field. The company will also strengthen collaborations with domestic and international research institutions, universities, and enterprises, integrating resources to jointly promote basic research and application development in immunometabolism, contributing to global healthcare industry.
Additionally, META has signed CDAs with several internationally renowned pharmaceutical companies and is actively exploring strategic collaborations for its existing pipeline. The company will continue to push forward with its R&D projects to achieve more breakthroughs.

Leadership Perspectives
Dr. Ke Xu, Founder of META, commented:
"We are committed to pioneering China-originated innovations that deliver safer, more effective therapies for autoimmune and rare diseases. Our rare disease research not only safeguards lives but propels medical progress. We will accelerate development to bring hope to patients worldwide."

Dr. Shuhao Wen, Chairman of XtalPi, commented:
" We have always focused on driving the transformation of scientific achievements with both economic and social value. As the first innovative drug R&D company co-incubated by XtalPi in long-term collaboration, META has built a highly innovative and market-promising pipeline in major disease areas such as autoimmune diseases, metabolic diseases, and cancer. Its unique innovation platform not only discovers first-in-class targets with market potential but also complements XtalPi's AI + robotics drug R&D platform, forming a mutually validating advantage. The two new drug collaborations are progressing smoothly and have received multiple FDA certifications, with the potential to achieve breakthroughs in multiple clinical areas. We are highly optimistic and will continue to support this highly capable new drug team. We also look forward to our collaboration producing globally competitive first-in-class drugs that will benefit patients worldwide as soon as possible."

Dr. Xiaowen Feng, Partner at Forcefield Ventures and IMO Ventures, commented:
" META has deeply rooted itself in the interdisciplinary field of immunometabolism, possessing a series of globally first-in-class drug pipelines with independent R&D and theoretical foundations. It is the first company in China focused on immunometabolism targets. We were drawn to the team's strong academic background, efficient R&D capabilities, and execution strength, and we are optimistic about the immense potential of this field. META’s cutting-edge achievements in biological theory perfectly align with XtalPi's industry-leading position in AI drug R&D. Together, they have the potential to innovatively develop a new generation of blockbuster drugs for autoimmune diseases. This collaboration has the potential to address long-standing challenges in drug treatment for hundreds of millions of autoimmune disease patients worldwide."

About META Pharmaceuticals Inc.
META is an innovative drug company focused on the R&D of treatments for autoimmune and metabolic diseases. It was incubated by AI drug R&D company XtalPi, Forcefield Ventures, and IMO Ventures, with investments from Tiantu Capital (1973.HK), Yael Capital, Fangyuan Capital, Lead Rich International, Decent Capital, and Bopu Capital. The company focuses on first-in-class innovative drug R&D, providing urgently needed drugs for patients worldwide. The company has received a series of honors and certifications, including being ranked among the Top 10 Most Promising Small-Molecule Innovative Enterprises in the 2022 China Biotech Innovation Value List, Top 50 High-Growth Enterprises in the Greater Bay Area in 2022, Top 50 Biotech Innovation Enterprises in the Greater Bay Area in 2023, 2023 KPMG China Biotech Innovation 50, Top 5 in the 2023 Novo Nordisk Star Start Innovation Competition, and invitations to the 2025 and 2024 JPM Healthcare Conferences.

* META Pharmaceuticals Inc is a park company in Hong Kong Science Park.