InnoCare Announces First Patient Dosed in the Phase II Clinical Trial of Novel TYK2 Inhibitor ICP-488 for Cutaneous Lupus Erythematosus in China

Beijing, May 19, 2026 – InnoCare Pharma (HKEX: 09969; SSE: 688428), a leading biopharmaceutical company focusing on the treatment of cancer and autoimmune diseases, announced today that the first patient has been dosed in the Phase II clinical trial of novel TYK2 inhibitor ICP-488 for the treatment of cutaneous lupus erythematosus (CLE).

ICP-488 is an oral, potent, and selective TYK2 allosteric inhibitor. By binding to the JH2 domain, ICP-488 blocks the signal transduction of IL-23, IL-12, type 1 IFN, and other inflammatory cytokines, thereby inhibiting the pathological processes of autoimmune and inflammatory diseases.

CLE is a common type of lupus erythematosus, an autoimmune disease that primarily manifests as cutaneous lesions. It is characterized by diverse skin lesions. Some CLE patients may progress to systemic lupus erythematosus with damages to multiple organs. To date, no drug has been approved for the treatment of CLE globally, representing a significant unmet clinical need.

Dr. Jasmine Cui, Co-founder, Chairwoman, and CEO of InnoCare, said, "Patients with cutaneous lupus erythematosus have long suffered from the burden of the disease, and there is an urgent clinical need for safe and effective innovative therapies. We will accelerate the clinical development of ICP-488 to bring better treatment options to patients as early as possible."

InnoCare is advancing multiple clinical trials of ICP-488 for autoimmune diseases, including the Phase III clinical study in psoriasis with patient enrollment completed, the Phase II trial for CLE and Sjögren's syndrome ongoing, with additional indications and combination strategies under evaluation.

About InnoCare Pharma

InnoCare (HKEX: 9969; SSE: 688428) is a commercial stage biopharmaceutical company committed to discovering, developing, and commercializing innovative drugs for the treatment of cancers and autoimmune diseases, two therapeutic areas with unmet medical needs worldwide. InnoCare has established comprehensive innovation platforms for drug discovery. To date, the Company has developed a robust product pipeline comprising three approved drugs (orelabrutinib, tafasitamab and zurletrectinib), more than ten innovative drug candidates in clinical development, and multiple programs in preclinical stages. InnoCare has branches in Beijing, Nanjing, Shanghai, Guangzhou, Hong Kong, and the United States. For more information about InnoCare, please visit https://www.innocarepharma.com/en and follow us on LinkedIn.