CF PHARMTECH (02652) shares climbed more than 20% during intraday trading, last up 6.14% at HK$16.2 with turnover reaching HK$58.31 million.

The company recently announced that its self-developed long-acting inhaled dry powder candidate drug, ICF001, has received implied approval from the National Medical Products Administration to conduct clinical trials for interstitial lung diseases, specifically covering idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) and progressive pulmonary fibrosis (PPF).

This approval extends ICF001's coverage to four major indications: PAH, PH-ILD, IPF, and PPF. As a lung-targeted prodrug formulation, ICF001 demonstrates significant advantages in its long-acting inhaled prodrug design logic. The addition of two new indication clinical studies will substantially enhance its clinical value.

In China, PAH treatment is trending toward multi-mechanism combination therapies, yet the supply of inhaled formulations and long-acting prodrug products remains limited. Meanwhile, PH-ILD, IPF, and PPF areas still face unmet clinical needs.

If the product successfully completes clinical development and secures market approval, the company plans to leverage its local research capabilities, inhaled formulation production, and commercialization expertise to ensure patient accessibility across China.