Shanghai Stock Exchange listed biotech company HitGen Inc. (“HitGen”) announced important research progress in a collaboration with BioAge Labs, Inc. (“BioAge”), a private biotechnology company developing targeted small molecules for the treatment of diseases of aging. The companies have conducted collaborative research to identify and develop novel small-molecule compounds against a high-value and challenging biological target that is a critical component of the innate immune system. Dysregulation of this target is closely linked to the underlying cause of severe diseases in elderly humans, such as Alzheimer’s and cardiovascular disease.