** Shares of Chinese pharmaceutical products developer Ascletis Pharma Inc 1672.HK jump 8.7% to HK$7.99, their highest since March 2019

** Stock on course for the biggest one-day gain since March 3; on track for third straight session of rise

** Ascletis announces positive topline results of Phase 1B studies of weight loss drug candidate ASC47 monotherapy in Australia

** Says U.S. Food and Drug Administration has cleared the U.S. Investigational New Drug application for ASC47 in combination with semaglutide for the treatment of obesity

** Hong Kong's healthcare index .HSCIH and Hang Seng Index .HSI both slip 0.1%

** Stock up 144.2% YTD

(Reporting by Donny Kwok)

((donny.kwok@thomsonreuters.com))