# Insilico's Rentosertib Inhalation Solution Receives IND Clearance for the World's First AI-Driven Candidate to Enter Direct-to-Lung Clinical Study

- Link: https://www.thailand-business-news.com/pr-news/insilicos-rentosertib-inhalation-solution-receives-ind-clearance-for-the-worlds-first-ai-driven-candidate-to-enter-direct-to-lung-clinical-study
- Published: 2026-04-29T08:00:00+07:00
- Author: PR Newswire

◦ Following positive Phase IIa results for oral Rentosertib in GENESIS-IPF with
   good tolerability, a favorable PK profile, and dose-dependent efficacy improvements,
   the inhalation solution has received IND clearance from the CDE.
 ◦ The inhalation solution is designed for targeted lung delivery to achieve rapid
   onset and high local bioavailability at lower doses, while reducing systemic 
   exposure and related side effects.
 ◦ Rentosertib inhalation solution is the 13th program from Insilico’s AI-driven
   pipeline to receive IND clearance, further demonstrating how [Pharma.AI](http://pharma.ai)
   could reproducibly drive the discovery and development of novel molecules from
   preclinical development to clinical validation.

CAMBRIDGE, Mass., April 29, 2026 /PRNewswire/ —** Insilico Medicine ( ****"Insilico",
HKEX:3696 ), a clinical-stage, generative AI–driven drug discovery company**, today
announced that the inhalation solution of Rentosertib (ISM001-055), the company’s
first-in-class drug candidate with AI-identified novel target and AI-developed molecule
structure, received IND clearance from CDE. Notably, Rentosertib inhalation solution
is the 13th program from Insilico’s AI-driven pipeline to receive IND clearance,
further demonstrating how Pharma.AI could reproducibly drive the discovery and development
of novel molecules from preclinical development to clinical validation.

The IND clearance supports a Phase I study to evaluate the safety, tolerability,
and pharmacokinetic (PK) profiles of Rentosertib inhalation solution. The study 
will consist of two parts: (1) a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled Phase
I trial in healthy participants involving single ascending dose (SAD) and multiple
ascending dose (MAD) cohorts; and (2) a non-randomized, open-label evaluation in
patients with Idiopathic Pulmonary Fibrosis (IPF) receiving multiple doses. Approximately
80 subjects are expected to be enrolled.

"We are pleased to receive CDE IND approval for Rentosertib inhalation solution."**
says Feng Ren, Ph.D., Co-CEO and CSO of Insilico Medicine.** "In prior clinical 
studies, oral Rentosertib showed good tolerability, a favorable PK profile, and 
dose-dependent efficacy trend, strengthening our confidence in its mechanism and
clinical potential. We look forward to seeing the Rentosertib inhalation solution
deliver positive clinical results again in both healthy volunteers and patient populations.
The inhalation solution is designed for targeted lung delivery, with the goal of
achieving higher pulmonary exposure and faster onset at lower doses while reducing
systemic exposure and optimizing the benefit–risk profile. In parallel, we continue
to advance the oral Rentosertib program and remain on track to initiate Phase III
trials in the second half of this year."

Administration by inhalation is a complex drug delivery technology that requires
combining formulation and devices, presenting higher technical barriers. Inhalation
solutions deliver treatment as vapor or aerosol through special devices into the
respiratory tract (i.e. the target organ), which is considered one of the most efficient
routes of drug delivery as it may provide advantages including rapid action onset,
high bioavailability, lowered effective dose and reduced side effects with a noninvasive
and targeted route of administration.

In preclinical studies, the inhalation solution of Rentosertib was able to achieve
higher lung exposure with low systemic exposure and demonstrated antifibrotic and
anti-inflammatory efficacy in animal models. Moreover, it showed good pharmacokinetic(
PK) and safety profiles, as well as good stability and solubility.

"The CDE IND clearance for the Rentosertib inhalation solution further validates
Insilico Medicine’s sustainable, scalable, and reproducible AI-driven drug discovery
and development workflow." **says Alex Zhavoronkov, Ph.D., Founder and CEO of Insilico
Medicine**. "With our proprietary AI models, we empower the whole process from target
discovery to clinical development, expanding into formulation types and geographic
areas. To date, we have successfully nominated 30 preclinical candidate compounds(
DC/PCC), with the latest emerging from the UAE, a country with no prior history 
of innovative drug development. At the same time, Insilico Medicine has initiated
three Phase II clinical trials and achieved IND clearance for 13 programs across
fibrosis, oncology, immunology, and central nervous system disorders."

Insilico Medicine has established AI-driven drug discovery partnerships with global
leading companies, including [Eli Lilly](https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/insilico-and-lilly-enter-a-research--licensing-collaboration-to-advance-ai-driven-drug-discovery-302610234.html),
[Hygtia Therapeutics](https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/insilico-medicine-and-hygtia-therapeutics-enter-new-global-strategic-collaboration-to-co-develop-novel-brain-penetrant-nlrp3-inhibitor-for-cns-diseases-treatment-302666035.html),
[Qilu Pharmaceutical](https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/insilico-medicine-and-qilu-pharmaceutical-reach-near-120-million-drug-development-collaboration-to-accelerate-novel-cardiometabolic-therapies-302671276.html),
[CMS](https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/ai-powered-rd-acceleration-insilico-medicine-and-cms-announce-multiple-collaborations-in-central-nervous-system-and-autoimmune-diseases-302683513.html),
[TaiGen](https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/insilico-and-taigen-achieve-milestone-in-collaboration-out-licensed-ckd-anemia-candidate-ism4808-completes-first-human-enrollment-and-dosing-in-phase-i-clinical-trial-302706605.html),
[ASKA Pharma](https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/insilico-medicine-and-aska-pharmaceutical-expand-partnership-to-discover-novel-targets-for-womens-health-302723214.html),
[Tenacia](https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/insilico-medicine-and-tenacia-biotechnology-expand-ai-driven-cns-collaboration-with-deal-value-up-to-us94-75-million-302726313.html),
[Fosun Pharma](https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/fosun-pharma-and-insilico-medicine-announce-a-strategic-ai-driven-drug-discovery-and-development-collaboration-to-jointly-advance-multiple-targets-301457569.html),
and [Sanofi](https://www.globenewswire.com/news-release/2022/11/08/2551039/31533/en/Insilico-Medicine-Signs-Strategic-Research-Collaboration-with-Sanofi-worth-up-to-1-2-Billion.html),
and has achieved important R&D milestones across multiple collaborations. By integrating
advanced AI and automation technologies, Insilico Medicine has demonstrated significant
efficiency improvements in practical applications, setting a benchmark for AI-driven
drug research and development. Compared to the typical 4.5 years required in traditional
drug discovery, Insilico’s 20+ nominated candidate drugs from 2021 to 2024 took 
only 12–18 months on average to progress from project initiation to nomination of
preclinical candidates (PCCs), with each project requiring synthesis and testing
of only about 60–200 molecules.

 About Idiopathic Pulmonary Fibrosis (IPF)

Idiopathic Pulmonary Fibrosis (IPF) is a chronic, scarring lung disease characterized
by a progressive and irreversible decline in lung function. Affecting approximately
5 million people worldwide, IPF carries a poor prognosis, with a median survival
of 3 to 4 years. Current approved treatments, including antifibrotic drugs, can 
slow disease progression but do not stop or reverse it, leaving a significant unmet
need for more effective, disease-modifying therapies.

 About Rentosertib (Known asISM001-055)

Rentosertib is a potentially first-in-class small-molecule TNIK inhibitor, discovered
and developed with the support of Insilico’s proprietary generative AI platform,
[Pharma.AI](http://pharma.ai). The[ ](https://www.globenewswire.com/en/news-release/2023/02/08/2604040/31533/en/Insilico-Medicine-Receives-FDA-Orphan-Drug-Designation-for-Generative-AI-Discovered-and-Designed-Drug-for-Idiopathic-Pulmonary-Fibrosis.html)
[FDA granted Orphan Drug Designation](https://globalgenes.org/raredaily/insilico-medicine-receives-fda-orphan-drug-designation-for-generative-ai-discovered-and-designed-ipf-drug/)(
ODD) to Rentosertib for the treatment of IPF in February 2023. The CDE granted Breakthrough
Therapy Designation (BTD) to Rentosertib in May 2025.

Rentosertib’s early drug discovery and development process was completed in 18 months
with less than 80 small molecules synthesized and tested. This dramatically shortens
traditional R&D timeline through AI-enabled target identification and molecule design.
The AI-driven workflow was reported in  [**_Nature Biotechnology_**](https://www.nature.com/articles/s41587-024-02143-0)
in March 2024. More importantly, Rentosertib achieved the world’s first proof-of-
concept for the efficacy of AI-driven drug discovery with the positive results demonstrated
in the GENSIS-IPF Phase IIa trial, and the results were published in [**_Nature Medicine_**](https://www.nature.com/articles/s41591-025-03743-2)
in June 2025.

**About Insilico Medicine**

Insilico Medicine is a pioneering global biotechnology company dedicated to integrating
artificial intelligence and automation technologies to accelerate drug discovery,
drive innovation in the life sciences, and extend healthy longevity to people on
the planet. The company was listed on the Main Board of the Hong Kong Stock Exchange
on December 30, 2025, under the stock code 03696.HK.

By integrating AI and automation technologies and deep in-house drug discovery capabilities,
Insilico is delivering innovative drug solutions for unmet needs including fibrosis,
oncology, immunology, pain, and obesity and metabolic disorders. Additionally, Insilico
extends the reach of Pharma.AI across diverse industries, such as advanced materials,
agriculture, nutritional products and veterinary medicine. **For more information,
please visit**[ ](http://www.insilico.com/)[www.insilico.com](https://www.insilico.com)

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