At the midday close, Hong Kong's Hang Seng Index advanced 0.83%, adding 192 points to reach 23,542 points, while the Hang Seng Tech Index rose by 1.16%. The total turnover for the morning session stood at HK$186.2 billion.
The market's focus was drawn to a recent announcement from the National Medical Products Administration's General Office, which issued a draft for public comment regarding the optimization of the review and approval process for cell and gene therapy products. The draft solicits opinions on encouraging R&D innovation, streamlining the review process, optimizing registration inspections, and expanding expert panels.
This regulatory development provided a boost to the healthcare sector, particularly the Hang Seng Innovation Drug Index, which surged 2.99% to lead the gains.
Sino Biopharmaceutical Ltd (01177) saw its shares climb 7%. GenFleet Therapeutics-B (02595) jumped more than 10%. InnoCare Pharma Ltd (09969) gained over 7% after its self-developed novel ADC drug candidate, ICP-B208, which targets CDH17, administered its first dose to a patient.
Quanxin Biotech-B (02509) rose 4.9% following the approval of its CLD-423 injection for clinical trials and the successive achievement of out-licensing deals for its innovative pipeline.
Deshi-B (02526) soared more than 18% after officially launching its iMedLoop global medical imaging data platform, which reportedly covers over 90% of clinical scenarios.
The AI-driven computing power theme continued to fuel gains in related sectors. Dongfang Electric Corporation Ltd (01072) rose more than 7%, while Harbin Electric Company Ltd (01133) advanced over 6%. Wasion Holdings Ltd (03393) surged more than 9% after its subsidiary won a bid in Mexico's CFE annual smart meter tender, securing orders potentially worth up to RMB 695 million this year.
China Ruyi Holdings Ltd (00136) gained over 5% as it is set to become the exclusive first-batch partner for WeChat Agent in the cinema sector, with a strategic focus on the TCG field.
Zhida Technology Ltd (02650) skyrocketed more than 23% as it actively expands its charging robot business, with overseas demand expected to sustain robust growth.
H&H International Holdings Ltd (01112) jumped over 16% after reporting an expected double-digit revenue growth and a projected doubling of adjusted net profit for the first half of the year.
Conversely, concerns over potential insufficient demand for computing power weighed on related hardware stocks. Yangtze Optical Fibre and Cable Joint Stock Ltd (06869) was among the notable decliners, falling more than 13%.