Zion Pharma

About Zion Pharma

Zion Pharma is a private, clinical-stage biotechnology company developing novel, small-molecule anti-tumoral agents. Founded in March 2018 by Co-founders Zack Cheng (CEO) and Ding Zhou (CSO), the company was established to develop new drugs for cancer patients with high unmet medical needs. Cheng, with a two-decade career in drug metabolism and pharmacokinetics (DMPK) at major pharmaceutical companies like AstraZeneca and GSK, partnered with Zhou to leverage their combined expertise.

The company operates with research headquarters in Suzhou and additional operations in Shanghai, with the parent company, Zion Pharma Limited, formed in Hong Kong. Zion Pharma's drug discovery approach utilizes its DMPK expertise to create proprietary compounds designed to be first-in-class or best-in-class. Its pipeline focuses on therapeutic targets that inhibit tumor growth, such as HER2, ataxia telangiectasia mutated (ATM), Kirsten Rat Sarcoma (KRAS G12D), and SMARCA2 (BRM).

A significant milestone was achieved in May 2023 when Roche acquired the global rights to Zion's lead program, ZN-A-1041. This orally administered tyrosine kinase inhibitor (TKI) is specifically designed to penetrate the blood-brain barrier to treat and prevent brain metastases in patients with HER2-positive metastatic breast cancer. The agreement with Roche includes up to $70 million in upfront and near-term milestone payments, with potential for an additional $610 million based on development, regulatory, and sales milestones, plus tiered royalties. Following the deal, Roche assumed responsibility for the continued development, manufacturing, and commercialization of ZN-A-1041, which is in Phase 1 trials in the U.S. and China.

Zion Pharma has secured significant funding since its inception, starting with a $3 million angel round in May 2018, followed by a $12 million Series A in 2019. A Series A+ round in August 2020 raised an additional $20 million, led by Qiming Venture Partners and Sherpa Healthcare Partners. In June 2021, the company closed a $40 million Series B round. This funding supports the advancement of its clinical trials and the development of other pipeline candidates.