SINGAPORE, May 6, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — XstraStar has launched a full-funnel Generative Engine Optimization (GEO) solution designed to help brands build measurable visibility across AI search platforms including Doubao, DeepSeek, ChatGPT, and Perplexity. As AI search adoption accelerates globally, the company positions GEO as a practical alternative to traditional SEO—focused on making brands both discoverable and recommendable throughout the AI-driven buyer journey.

Why GEO, Why Now

Search behavior is rapidly shifting toward AI platforms. By mid-2025, AI search tools had reached an estimated 685 million monthly active users worldwide, while traditional search market share continued to decline. Brands relying solely on SEO face a shrinking channel, as AI platforms increasingly serve as the primary interface for product discovery and purchase decisions.

A Structured Approach to AI Visibility

XstraStar’s methodology is built around “meta-semantic optimization,” transforming brand information into structured, authoritative content that AI systems are more likely to retrieve and cite. The workflow includes four stages: semantic profiling, technical content optimization, multi-channel distribution, and continuous performance monitoring.

The company also provides a proprietary analytics platform that tracks five key metrics—mention rate, average AI ranking, sentiment, competitive positioning, and recommendation likelihood—updated daily across major AI platforms. These metrics are combined into a unified scoring system, enabling brands to benchmark performance and track progress over time.

Early Client Results

XstraStar reports clients achieving AI mention rates rising from zero to between 50–70% within three to five months, along with multi-fold increases in organic search impressions and clicks. Clients served include tech companies expanding internationally across SaaS, productivity tools, and research applications.

XstraStar operates teams across Asia and Singapore, and states it is among the first providers to commit to full-funnel KPIs spanning AI exposure through to user registration and conversion.

Ready to elevate your brand’s visibility in AI search and outpace competitors? Partner with XstraStar, the full-stack GEO provider trusted by global leaders—visit https://xstrastar today to start your AI-driven growth journey and secure measurable results across every stage of the buyer funnel.

About XstraStar

XstraStar is a GEO-focused technology services company with offices across Asia-Pacific. Founded to help brands navigate the shift from traditional search to AI-driven discovery, the company delivers measurable visibility across major AI search platforms globally, covering the full funnel from AI-platform impressions through to traffic, lead generation, and conversion.

SINGAPORE, May 6, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — YeahPay, the international payment brand under YEAHKA (9923.HK), has appointed David Tay, a former senior executive at Visa Asia Pacific, as Global Vice President, tasking him with overseeing the strategic direction and product ecosystem development of YEAHKA’s overseas payment business. The appointment comes as global digital trade enters a new phase defined by ecosystem integration, with payment infrastructure undergoing a generational shift in acceleration.

David Tay, a Singaporean national, is a rising leader in the payments industry. During his career at Visa, David played a key role in driving business growth across multiple Southeast Asian markets, demonstrating early promise in commercial insight and innovation. He subsequently moved into Visa’s Innovation division, where he rose to serve as Head of Innovation, leading Visa Pacific’s product innovation and new business.

In that capacity, David led the commercialization of cutting-edge payment paradigms including Visa Flex Credential and Pay by Palm. He was also involved in the evaluation and governance of strategic partners across the region, accumulating deep expertise in collaborating with banks, fintechs, and large-scale enterprise merchants.

David’s track record spans the full go-to-market lifecycle, from concept to pilot to scale, as well as deep capabilities in cross-institutional partnerships and ecosystem development. His appointment comes at an inflection point for YEAHKA’s international expansion. According to YEAHKA’s 2025 annual report, its overseas business delivered full-year Gross Payment Volume (GPV) surpassing RMB 5 billion, representing a 323.3% year-on-year surge from RMB 1.1 billion in 2024.

SHANGHAI, May 6, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — Alebund Pharmaceuticals (Jiangsu) Limited (“Alebund” or the “Company”), an integrated biopharmaceutical company focusing on developing innovative therapies for the treatment of renal diseases and related chronic conditions, today announced the completion of patient enrollment in the global Phase III pivotal multi-regional clinical trial (RESPOND-2, Study AP301-HP-03) of AP301, a novel fiber-iron-based phosphate binder, for the treatment of hyperphosphatemia. The trial was conducted in the United States and China, led by Dr. Geoffrey A. Block of U.S. Renal Care, with Professor Xiaoqiang Ding, Director of the Department of Nephrology, Zhongshan Hospital, Fudan University serving as the China principal investigator, and enrolled a total of 282 chronic kidney disease (“CKD”) patients on maintenance dialysis with hyperphosphatemia — 138 in the U.S. and 144 in China.

As a next-generation fiber-iron-based phosphate binder, AP301 is designed to have a higher phosphate-binding capability, favorable gastrointestinal tolerability, minimal risk of iron overload, and no requirement for chewing before swallowing, with the potential to improve treatment adherence and effectively control hyperphosphatemia.

Trial Design

RESPOND-2 is a double-blind, randomized, multi-regional Phase III clinical trial conducted in the U.S. and China. The study planned to enroll 264 CKD patients aged 12 years and above on maintenance dialysis with hyperphosphatemia, with 282 patients actually enrolled. The study comprises three treatment phases: an 8-week double-blind dose titration phase (AP301 versus AP301 ineffective low dose, 2:1 randomization), a 24-week open-label treatment phase, and a 3-week double-blind randomized withdrawal phase (AP301 maintenance dose versus AP301 ineffective low dose, 1:1 re-randomization). The primary endpoint is the change in serum phosphate levels from baseline to the end of the dose titration phase (AP301 versus AP301 ineffective low dose). The key secondary endpoint is the change in serum phosphate level from the end of the open-label treatment phase to the end of the randomized withdrawal phase (AP301 maintenance dose versus AP301 ineffective low dose).

Based on existing clinical data for AP301, the Company reached an agreement with the FDA that this global Phase III multi-regional clinical trial will serve as the single pivotal study to support U.S. registration of AP301.

Unmet Medical Need

Hyperphosphatemia is one of the most common complications in CKD patients, affecting approximately 95% of dialysis-dependent CKD patients and approximately 15% of non-dialysis CKD patients. According to KDIGO (Kidney Disease: Improving Global Outcomes) guidelines, hyperphosphatemia is defined as a serum phosphate level exceeding 4.5 mg/dL (1.45 mmol/L), with the target serum phosphate range for dialysis patients being 3.5–5.5 mg/dL (1.13–1.78 mmol/L) ^[1]. Chronically elevated serum phosphate is a central driver of CKD-mineral and bone disorder (CKD-MBD), leading to serious complications including vascular calcification, secondary hyperparathyroidism, and renal osteodystrophy, and is an independent risk factor for cardiovascular events and all-cause mortality in dialysis patients ^[2].

For CKD patients on dialysis, regular dialysis alone is insufficient to clear the accumulated phosphorus in the body, and the effect of dietary phosphorus restriction is limited. Oral phosphate binders remain the primary treatment for hyperphosphatemia. However, existing phosphate binders are commonly associated with gastrointestinal side effects, high pill burden, and systemic absorption in some agents, resulting in poor patient compliance and inadequate treatment duration. According to the Dialysis Outcomes and Practice Patterns Study (DOPPS) data, approximately 76% of dialysis patients in China, 52% in the U.S., and 39% in Japan fail to achieve target serum phosphate levels ^[3]. Data from the China Dialysis Calcification Study (CDCS) further showed that the serum phosphate us target attainment rate among Chinese dialysis patients within the 3.5–5.5 mg/dL range was only 40.1% ^[4].

Data from the Completed AP301 China Pivotal Phase III Clinical Trial

AP301 demonstrated robust and clinically meaningful efficacy in the completed China pivotal Phase III clinical trial (RESPOND-1, Study AP301-HP-02) ^[5]. The study was led by Professor Li Zuo, Director of the Department of Nephrology at Peking University People’s Hospital, and randomized 474 participants across 50 investigational sites in China.

At Week 12, AP301 was non-inferior to sevelamer carbonate, a phosphate binder widely used in clinical practice, in reducing serum phosphate levels (reductions from baseline of -0.72 mmol/L [-2.22 mg/dL]  vs. -0.70 mmol/L [-2.17 mg/dL]), respectively; the upper bound of the 95% confidence interval (CI) for the between-group difference (0.06 mmol/L [0.20 mg/dL]) was below the pre-defined non-inferiority margin of 0.19 mmol/L (0.59 mg/dL), demonstrating that AP301 met the pre-specified non-inferiority criterion versus sevelamer carbonate. At Week 27, participants receiving the AP301 maintenance dose achieved clinically and statistically superior serum phosphate control compared with the ineffective low dose group, with a between-group difference of -0.58 mmol/L (-1.8 mg/dL) (P<0.001). At the end of Week 52, the AP301 group showed a greater mean reduction in serum phosphate level from baseline than the sevelamer carbonate group (-0.76 mmol/L vs. -0.72 mmol/L), a higher serum phosphate target attainment rate (66.7% vs. 58.6%), and a lower daily dose (AP301 6.52 g/day vs. sevelamer carbonate 7.56 g/day). AP301 achieved robust and sustained serum phosphate reduction, suggesting its long-term therapeutic benefit.

Overall, AP301 was safe and well-tolerated. The most common adverse events were discolored feces and diarrhea. Diarrhea typically occurred within the first 2 to 4 weeks of treatment, was predominantly mild in severity, resolved without treatment modification, and rarely led to treatment discontinuation (0.6%). In the 52-week Phase III treatment period, no safety findings related to iron accumulation were observed.

Based on the results of AP301 China pivotal phase III clinical trial and other accumulated clinical data, Alebund has obtained alignment with NMPA and plans to submit a New Drug Application (NDA) in China in the near future.

Jin Tian, M.D., Co-founder and Chief Medical Officer of Alebund Pharmaceuticals, commented: “The on-time completion of patient enrollment in AP301’s global Phase III pivotal multi-regional clinical trial reflects Alebund’s ability to advance high-quality global clinical development, which is an important milestone in the global registrational development of AP301.”

About Hyperphosphatemia

Hyperphosphatemia is one of the most common complications in CKD patients. The long-term elevated serum phosphate levels could cause multiple complications such as secondary hyperparathyroidism, renal osteodystrophy, and vascular calcification. It is an independent risk factor of cardiovascular events and all-cause mortalities. Good control of serum phosphate levels could effectively improve the patients’ outcome. For CKD patients undergoing dialysis treatment, regular dialysis is not sufficient to remove the excess serum phosphate in the body. Considering the limitations of low-phosphate diet which might cause dystrophia, oral use of phosphate binders is the prevailing treatment for hyperphosphatemia. However, existing phosphate binders lead to low patient compliance, with less than 50% of patients achieving good phosphate control, due to gastrointestinal side effects and high pill burden, etc.

According to the Global and Chinese Hyperphosphatemia Drug Industry Blue Book by China Insights Consultancy in 2023, the out-of-target rate of serum phosphate level in dialysis patients in Chinese mainland was significantly higher than that in other countries and regions. There remains substantial room for improvement in terms of the proportion of patients using phosphate binders and duration of their usage. According to CIC, by 2035, the market size of serum phosphorus-lowering products in China is expected to reach RMB 10 billion while the global market size is forecasted to reach USD 6 billion.

About Alebund Pharmaceuticals

Alebund was founded in Shanghai in 2018. The Company focuses on the discovery, development, manufacturing, and commercialization of novel therapies primarily for kidney diseases and their complications, as well as other chronic conditions, to bring better therapeutic options to patients in China and globally. Alebund has built a diversified and balanced pipeline of seven drug candidates and one commercialized product (Mircera®) targeting a broad range of renal indications, including chronic kidney disease (CKD) and CKD complications, such as hyperphosphatemia, renal anemia, IgA nephropathy, diabetic kidney disease, focal segmental glomerulosclerosis (FSGS), and autosomal dominant polycystic kidney disease (ADPKD). Alebund has completed the construction of its manufacturing site in Yangzhou that will supply both drug substance and drug products of our product candidates, including AP301, upon commercial launch. Alebund has also established a dedicated in-house commercialization team in China responsible for promoting our renal products.

CONTACT: IR@alebund.com