Dr. Cheng Jiefei visited the company and gave a talk titled From a Dirty Antitussive Drug to the Forefront of Modern CNS Therapeutics

       On May 19, 2026, Dr. Cheng Jiefei was invited to visit the company and give a presentation titled 'From a Dirty Antitussive Drug to the Forefront of Modern CNS Therapeutics.' Dr. Cheng is a senior expert in central nervous system (CNS) drug research and development, and currently serves as the General Manager of Otsuka (Shanghai) Pharmaceutical Research and Development Co., Ltd.

       Dr. Cheng shared cases of dextromethorphan (originally a cough suppressant) being 'repurposed' for CNS diseases (depression and Alzheimer's-related agitation). The content included: 'Discovery of the molecule: from morphine and codeine to dextromethorphan'; 'From cough suppressant to neuromodulator: the discovery of NMDA receptors and dextromethorphan's NMDA receptor antagonism'; 'Breakthrough in combination drug design to overcome metabolic bottleneck: co-administration with the CYP2D6 inhibitor quinidine improves dextromethorphan metabolism and increases brain exposure'; 'Reflections and insights from the failure of the deuteration metabolic improvement strategy'; 'Successes of iterative combination drug design: co-administration with the drug bupropion can achieve dual effects of pharmacological synergy and improved metabolism', etc. Dr. Cheng's report was presented in a simple and elegant manner, covering the history of research and development process for dextromethorphan, the underlying logic, and the R&D insights, which enhanced our understanding of CNS new drug development. Our colleagues communicated with Dr. Cheng Jiefei and discussed the possibility of carrying out some collaborations in neurological drug development.