WestGene Biopharma
WestGene Biopharma is a Chengdu-based clinical-stage biotech founded in 2021 by CAS Academician Wei Yuquan and Professor Song Xiangrong, developing proprietary targeted lipid nanoparticle mRNA drugs and vaccines — including first-in-class HBV and EBV tumor therapeutics — while licensing its LNP platform to global partners.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2021
- HeadquartersChengdu, China
- Headcount51–100
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingHardware or Manufacturing
What WestGene Biopharma does
WestGene Biopharma (成都威斯津生物医药科技有限公司, Chengdu WestGene Biopharmaceutical Co., Ltd.) is a privately held, clinical-stage biotechnology company founded in July 2021 in Chengdu, China, by Chinese Academy of Sciences Academician Professor Wei Yuquan and Professor Song Xiangrong. The company focuses on the research, development, manufacturing, and sales of mRNA innovative drugs and adjuvants, with an underlying platform architecture centered on a proprietary targeted lipid nanoparticle (LNP) delivery system that enables mRNA payload delivery for vaccines, gene editing tools, and in vivo CAR-T applications. Its pipeline comprises over 20 mRNA drug and vaccine adjuvant candidates spanning preventive vaccines, tumor therapeutic vaccines, mRNA-encoded antibodies and protein supplements, gene editing, and novel nano-adjuvants, with four clinical-stage products and 17 in development. Flagship candidates include WGc-0201 (world's first HBV-mRNA therapeutic vaccine with both FDA and NMPA clinical trial approvals) and an EBV-positive tumor mRNA therapeutic vaccine (also world's first, selected for ESMO oral presentation).
The company's business model is a hybrid of direct drug development (with future commercial sales contingent on regulatory approval) and technology licensing. WestGene monetizes its LNP platform through strategic licensing agreements with global biotech partners — notably Cartesian Therapeutics for in vivo CAR-T and T-cell engager therapies in autoimmune diseases (announced June 2026, with upfront and development/commercial milestones) and BGI Huada Fire Eye for mRNA vaccine development (August 2025). Customer segments therefore span pharmaceutical and biotech partners (enterprise B2B licensing), as well as downstream end-user segments including autoimmune disease patients, infectious disease prevention populations, and oncology patients. Revenue to date is undisclosed and likely minimal, consisting of upfront licensing payments and unrecognized milestone eligibility rather than recurring commercial sales, consistent with a pre-commercial clinical-stage company.
WestGene Biopharma firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- WestGene Biopharma
- Legal name
- 成都威斯津生物医药科技有限公司
- Website
- https://westgenepharma.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2021
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 51–100 employees
- Short description
- WestGene Biopharma is a Chengdu-based clinical-stage biotech founded in 2021 by CAS Academician Wei Yuquan and Professor Song Xiangrong, developing proprietary targeted lipid nanoparticle mRNA drugs and vaccines — including first-in-class HBV and EBV tumor therapeutics — while licensing its LNP platform to global partners.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
WestGene Biopharma industry classification
Industry- Product category
- mRNA Therapeutics and Vaccines
- NAICS
- Biological Product (except Diagnostic) Manufacturing (325414), Research and Development in Biotechnology (except Nanobiotechnology) (541714), Pharmaceutical Preparation Manufacturing (325412)
- SIC
- Biological Products, (No Disgnostic Substances) (2836), Pharmaceutical Preparations (2834), Services-Commercial Physical & Biological Research (8731)
- akta.pro primary industry
- mRNA & Nucleic Acid Manufacturing Services (mRNA/saRNA/Plasmid DNA) (HLAGAGAC)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Synthetic Biology & Genetic Circuit Design Platforms (pathway engineering, chassis development) (HLAAAIAD), Immunology & Autoimmune Specialty Pharmaceuticals (HLAIACAB), Process Development & Tech Transfer Services (upstream/downstream) (HLAAAKAF)
Keywords
Where WestGene Biopharma is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Chengdu
- HQ country
- China
- HQ region
- Asia
Offices1 record
Markets served
WestGene Biopharma business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Hardware or Manufacturing
- Cost components
- Technology or R&D, Personnel, Operations, Supply Chain
Revenue model
- Licensing and Milestone Payments: WestGene generates revenue through strategic licensing agreements where partners pay upfront fees and potential development and commercial milestone payments. In the Cartesian Therapeutics deal, WestGene receives an upfront payment and is eligible for additional payments upon achieving development and commercialization milestones.
- Drug Development and Sales: Pre-commercial stage biopharmaceutical company developing mRNA drugs and vaccines through clinical trials. Revenue will come from future product sales upon regulatory approval.
Distribution channels1 record
Marketing channels4 records
WestGene Biopharma product offering
Product offeringCore offering
WestGene Biopharma is a clinical-stage biotechnology company that researches, develops, and plans to manufacture and sell mRNA-based drugs and adjuvants, with a portfolio of over 20 pipeline candidates spanning preventive vaccines, tumor therapeutic vaccines, gene editing, mRNA-encoded antibodies, and novel nano-adjuvants. Its core commercial offering today is the proprietary targeted lipid nanoparticle (LNP) delivery platform, which the company licenses to global biotech partners for in vivo CAR-T and T-cell engager therapy development.
Product overview
WestGene Biopharma is an mRNA innovation drug and adjuvant R&D company founded in July 2021 by CAS Academician Wei Yuquan and Professor Song Xiangrong. The company operates as a single unified platform focused on mRNA drug development, with five core technology platforms: Preventive Vaccine R&D, Tumor Therapeutic Vaccine R&D, Gene Editing Technology, mRNA-Encoded Antibody and Protein Supplement Drug, and Novel Nanoadjuvant platforms. The company's product portfolio includes over 20 mRNA drug and vaccine candidates, with key products including WGc-0201 (HBV-mRNA therapeutic vaccine, the world's first in this category), an EB virus-positive tumor mRNA therapeutic vaccine (also the world's first), and a proprietary targeted lipid nanoparticle (LNP) platform for in vivo CAR-T therapies. The company has 4 clinical-stage products and 17 products in various development stages.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- WGc-0201 HBV-mRNA Therapeutic Vaccine World's first mRNA therapeutic vaccine targeting chronic Hepatitis B Virus (HBV) infection. Received both FDA clinical approval (October 2025) and Chinese clinical trial approval (December 2025), positioning WestGene as a global first-in-class developer in HBV mRNA therapeutics.
- EB Virus-Positive Tumor mRNA Therapeutic Vaccine World's first EBV-related tumor mRNA therapeutic vaccine targeting EB virus-positive cancers. Received national clinical trial approval in August 2024 and was selected for ESMO oral presentation, marking breakthrough in mRNA-based cancer treatment.
- In Vivo CAR-T Therapy Platform (Targeted Lipid Nanoparticle Platform) Proprietary targeted lipid nanoparticle (LNP) platform that delivers mRNA payloads in vivo to enable CAR-T therapies without ex vivo cell manipulation. Licensed to Cartesian Therapeutics for use with their Descartes-08 mRNA payload in autoimmune disease indications including generalized myasthenia gravis.
Quantifiable outcome
- World's first HBV-mRNA therapeutic vaccine (WGc-0201) received both China clinical trial approval and FDA clinical approval
- +3 more outcomes
Companies that use WestGene Biopharma
Customer profileNamed customers1 record
Segments4 records
Ideal customer profiles2 records
WestGene Biopharma technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed Yes
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature8 records
WestGene Biopharma partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Three partnerships are on record, tiered core/flagship and core.
- Cartesian Therapeuticscore/flagshipStrategic licensing agreement to develop in vivo CAR-T therapies and T-cell engager (TCE) therapies for autoimmune diseases. The partnership uses Cartesian's Descartes-08 mRNA payload delivered via WestGene's targeted LNP platform. Companies plan to initiate Phase 1 dose-escalation study in generalized myasthenia gravis patients in H2 2026, with clinical data anticipated in H1 2027. WestGene receives upfront payment and is eligible for potential development and commercial milestone payments.
- BGI Huada (华大火眼)coreStrategic partnership granting BGI Huada Fire Eye authorization to use WestGene's LNP technology for mRNA vaccine development, expanding WestGene's technology licensing ecosystem.
- CytivacoreWestGene partnered with Cytiva and other industry partners to jointly publish the 《in vivo CAR-T行业蓝皮书》 (In Vivo CAR-T Industry White Paper), establishing industry standards and showcasing WestGene's leadership in the in vivo CAR-T field.
Scale indicators5 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights5 records
WestGene Biopharma competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- CureVac: Clinical-stage mRNA therapeutics company developing prophylactic and therapeutic vaccines across oncology and infectious disease. Closest mid-cap pure-play comparable to WestGene's mRNA drug + adjuvant focus.
- Stemirna Therapeutics: Shanghai-based Chinese mRNA therapeutics company developing infectious disease and oncology vaccines. Same geographic market, similar clinical-stage profile, and overlapping mRNA platform approach.
- Abogen Biosciences: Chinese mRNA company with COVID vaccine approval and expanding oncology/infectious disease pipeline. Direct competitor in the Chinese mRNA therapeutics space.
- Cartesian Therapeutics: U.S. clinical-stage biotech developing RNA cell therapies for autoimmune disease (Descartes-08/Descartes-15). Strategic licensing partner using WestGene's targeted LNP platform — directly comparable in vivo CAR-T/TCE modality.
- Arcturus Therapeutics: Clinical-stage mRNA medicines company with proprietary LNP and self-amplifying RNA platforms spanning vaccines and rare diseases. Directly comparable modality, delivery platform, and clinical-stage profile.
Broad incumbents
- BioNTech: German mRNA pioneer with approved COVID vaccine and expanding oncology/infectious disease pipeline. Most directly comparable mRNA therapeutics peer in terms of modality and disease targets.
- CSPC Pharmaceutical Group: Large Hong Kong-listed Chinese pharma with a dedicated mRNA R&D subsidiary developing vaccines and therapeutics. Provides a larger incumbent benchmark for Chinese mRNA commercialization pathways.
- Moderna: Global leader in mRNA therapeutics and vaccines with broad pipeline across infectious disease, oncology, and rare diseases. Directly comparable to WestGene's mRNA platform ambitions though at vastly larger scale and capitalization.
Emerging players
- Capstan Therapeutics: U.S. biotech developing in vivo CAR-T via targeted LNP delivery for autoimmune and oncology indications. Closest modality peer to WestGene's Cartesian-partnered in vivo CAR-T program.
Regional players
- CSPC Megarium (formerly SYSV): Chinese mRNA platform subsidiary focused on LNP delivery and mRNA-LNP vaccines, comparable to WestGene's targeted LNP platform. Useful for benchmarking regional LNP technology peers.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks7 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
WestGene Biopharma social profiles
Digital presenceWestGene Biopharma financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
WestGene Biopharma leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles2 records
WestGene Biopharma funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds1 record
Investors3 records
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
WestGene Biopharma M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about WestGene Biopharma
What does WestGene Biopharma do?
WestGene Biopharma is a clinical-stage biotechnology company that researches, develops, and plans to manufacture and sell mRNA-based drugs and adjuvants, with a portfolio of over 20 pipeline candidates spanning preventive vaccines, tumor therapeutic vaccines, gene editing, mRNA-encoded antibodies, and novel nano-adjuvants. Its core commercial offering today is the proprietary targeted lipid nanoparticle (LNP) delivery platform, which the company licenses to global biotech partners for in vivo CAR-T and T-cell engager therapy development.
Is WestGene Biopharma a public or private company?
WestGene Biopharma is a private company. It is classified as venture growth investor backed and is currently operating.
When was WestGene Biopharma founded?
WestGene Biopharma was founded in 2021. It employs 51 to 100 people.
Where is WestGene Biopharma based?
WestGene Biopharma is headquartered in Chengdu, China, in the Asia region.
How does WestGene Biopharma make money?
Two revenue lines are on record. Licensing and Milestone Payments are the primary driver. The others are drug Development and Sales.
Who are WestGene Biopharma's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are CureVac, Stemirna Therapeutics, Abogen Biosciences, Cartesian Therapeutics and Arcturus Therapeutics. Broad incumbents are BioNTech, CSPC Pharmaceutical Group and Moderna. Capstan Therapeutics is listed as an emerging player. CSPC Megarium (formerly SYSV) is listed as a regional player.
Does WestGene Biopharma have an API?
No public API is recorded for WestGene Biopharma.
What industry is WestGene Biopharma in?
WestGene Biopharma's product category is mRNA Therapeutics and Vaccines. Its primary akta.pro industry code is HLAGAGAC, mRNA & Nucleic Acid Manufacturing Services (mRNA/saRNA/Plasmid DNA), with a secondary code of HLAAAIAD, Synthetic Biology & Genetic Circuit Design Platforms (pathway engineering, chassis development). Its NAICS code is 325414 and its SIC code is 2836.