April 29, 2024 — Laekna, Inc. (2105.HK), a science-driven, clinical-stage biotechnology company, released its 2023 Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) report since its listing on the HKEX on June 29, 2023. 

Laekna means "to cure, to heal", underscores the company’s fundamental mission of healing and caring for patients since its inception. Laekna strives for sustainable growth and ESG excellence through commitments to long termism. In 2023, the company has crafted a comprehensive five-year ESG plan based on five pillars: Legitimate、Innovation、Green、Health and Talent (LIGHT). ESG ambassadors in each function spearheaded initiatives to implement the plan.

“In ESG work, I've learned two key lessons: never tire of small acts of kindness and maintain high standards despite our size”. said Dr. Chris Lu, Chairman and CEO of Laekna. “Though our capabilities are limited, our collective compassion shines through. Despite our size, we uphold compliance, ethics, and ESG as essential. We are committed to annual ESG reporting, demonstrating our unwavering commitment to transparency and responsibility as we pursue sustainable growth”.

Highlights of Laekna’s 2023 ESG Report

• Corporate Governance

Strictly complied with laws and regulations including the Rules Governing the Listing of Securities on HKEX. Instituted a comprehensive framework of policies and procedures, including Conflict of Interest Management, Anti-Fraud Measures, Insider Information Governance, etc. 100% compliance training coverage rate among our workforce.

• R&D Innovation

Established multiple mechanisms to incentivize R&D and benefit patients. Initiated 6 clinical trials, internally discovered 14 drug candidates and advanced 7 into PCC stage. Established three-tiered structure for patient safety management and protected our lP rights through patent applications, trademark registrations, execution of confidentiality agreements and utilization of legal enforcement measures.

• Community Investment

Actively participated in different social welfare activities and donations. Donated a bookshelf of 1,500 books in Yunnan and a Children’s Science Innovation Classroom in Gansu. Dedicated 438 volunteer hours in public welfare programs and supported 344 persons through these activities.

• Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion 

Cultivated a diverse talent pool and fostered an inclusive workplace environment. Ensured employees were treated equally regardless of race, nationality, gender, etc. Female employees reached 64% of workforce and female directors and above ratio approximately 53%.

• Talent Development

Offered diverse training and career development opportunities. Recognized and rewarded employees' contributions and exceptional performance. Organized internal knowledge-sharing events "Lai Talk" on a regular basis. 100% training coverage rate among employees with approximately 7.95 training hours per person on average.

• Partnering with Stakeholders

Cultivated a resilient, low-risk, responsible and compassionate supply chain. Partnered with charitable organizations. A hearing-impaired designer was invited to co-design the cover of the ESG report.

• Green Operation

Continuously explored opportunities to minimize pollutant emissions throughout the R&D processes and daily operation, including substituted single-use consumables with reusable glass containers to minimize the use of disposable materials. The proportion of reusable consumables reached 20%. Introduced electronic business cards for employees and transited printed stubs to electronic ones to minimize the consumption of papers. The GHG emissions of the company decreased by 19.4% during the reporting period.

Please visit: https://en.laekna.com/upload/2024-04/171412286459372700.pdf to find Laekna’s 2023 Environmental, Social and Governance Report.

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Media  communication@laekna.com

Corporate and Business Development  BD@laekna.com

About Laekna

Stock Code: 2105.HK

Founded in 2016, Laekna is a science-driven, clinical-stage biotechnology company committed to bringing novel therapies to cancer, metabolic diseases and liver fibrosis patients worldwide.

As of December 31, 2023, we have initiated six clinical trials for afuresertib (LAE002), LAE001 and LAE005 for the treatment of breast cancer, prostate cancer, ovarian cancer and PD-1/ PD-L1 drug-resistant solid tumors to address the unmet medical needs. Among these six clinical trials, three are multi-regional clinical trials (MRCTs). Afuresertib is a potent AKT inhibitor that inhibits all three AKT isoforms (AKT1, AKT2 and AKT3) as well as one of the only two AKT inhibitors in or completed the pivotal-stage clinical development for anti-cancer treatment globally.

Laekna’s internal drug discovery platform has discovered 14 drug candidates. LAE102 is our internally discovered antibody against ActRIIA. We’ve obtained IND approval from the FDA in relation to obesity. Blocking Activin-ActRII pathway could promote muscle regeneration and decrease fat mass. Laekna team has accumulated tremendous experience and deep know-how in this specific field and is developing more drug candidates (LAE103 and LAE123) to maximize the value of targeting ActRII receptors. 

Laekna, Inc. was listed on the Main Board of The Stock Exchange of Hong Kong Limited (the “Hong Kong Stock Exchange”) on June 29, 2023, with the stock code 2105.HK. 

For more information, please visit: https://www.laekna.com/  or https://www.linkedin.com/company/74110713/

Forward-Looking Statements

This press release may contain certain “forward-looking statements” which are not historical facts, but instead are predictions about future events based on Laekna’s current beliefs, assumptions and expectations, commonly identified by words such as "would", "may", "expects", "believes", "plans", "intends", "projects" and other terms with similar meaning. Although we believe that our predictions are reasonable, future events are inherently uncertain and our actual future results or performance may be materially different from what we expect. Accordingly, you are strongly cautioned that reliance on any forward-looking statements is subject to significant known and unknown risks and uncertainties. All forward-looking statements contained herein are qualified by reference to the cautionary statements set forth in this section. All information provided in this press release is as of the date of this press release and are based on assumptions that we believe to be reasonable as of this date, and we do not undertake any obligation to update any forward-looking statement, except as required under applicable law.