Huadong Medicine’s Kytogen® Defend, the World’s First Non-Animal-Derived Chitosan Aesthetic Injectable, Receives EU MDR CE Certification

On August 9, Huadong Medicine Co., Ltd. (000963.SZ) announced that KIO015 (trade name: Kytogen® Defend), an injectable carboxymethyl chitosan solution featuring a novel patented ingredient developed by its wholly owned UK subsidiary, Sinclair Pharma Limited, had been granted the EU MDR CE certification, gaining market access in the European Union. The product is indicated for intradermal injection, superficial filling, skin quality improvement, and skin hydration.

Kytogen® Defend is the world’s first and currently the only innovative aesthetic injectable based on non-animal-derived chitosan. Its core ingredient, KiOMedine® CM-Chitosan, is produced through a patented technology that enables extraction of high-purity, medical-grade, non-animal-derived chitosan from Agaricus bisporus. Unlike conventional animal-derived chitosan, it may reduce the potential risks of intolerance and allergic reactions associated with traditional animal-derived materials. In terms of mechanism of action, Kytogen® Defend protects endogenous hyaluronic acid and reduces oxidative stress in dermal cells through mesotherapy, thereby increasing skin moisture content and improving skin elasticity and radiance, helping address skin quality concerns such as fine lines and skin dryness. In addition, this product has free radical-scavenging capabilities, which may reduce oxidative degradation-related damage to extracellular matrix components.In vitro studies have also confirmed its antioxidant protective effects.

Skin quality improvement is one of the key areas of Huadong Medicine’s aesthetic medicine strategy. Kytogen® Defend is the world’s first and currently the only non-animal-derived chitosan aesthetic injectable, as well as the Company’s first injectable product in the skin quality improvement segment of its aesthetic medicine business. Leveraging its innovative non-animal-derived chitosan technology, the product is expected to meet the needs of niche markets such as sensitive skin and post-aesthetic-medicine care, providing a new injectable solution for individuals with these skin conditions. As the product is gradually introduced to overseas markets, the Company’s portfolio of aesthetic injectable products will be further enriched, continuously enhancing the global competitiveness of its aesthetic medicine brands.

About Huadong Medicine

Huadong Medicine Co., Ltd. (Huadong Medicine for short), headquartered in Hangzhou, Zhejiang, has been repeatedly recognized among Forbes’ “Top 50 Best Listed Companies in Asia-Pacific” and the “Top 100 Most Valuable Listed Companies on China’s Main Boards,” and has been included in the Fortune China 500 for consecutive years. The Company was also named among the world’s top 50 pharmaceutical companies in 2025 by Pharmaceutical Executive, a U.S.-based pharmaceutical industry magazine, and has consistently ranked among the TOP 10 of China’s Top 100 Pharmaceutical Industrial Enterprises. It has also received the National Prize for Progress in Science and Technology (Second Class) for several times. With businesses spanning the entire pharmaceutical industry chain, Huadong Medicine operates across four major business sectors: pharmaceutical development, pharmaceutical distribution, medical aesthetics, and industrial microbiology. It has developed into a large comprehensive pharmaceutical listed company integrating innovative pharmaceutical R&D, manufacturing, and distribution.