What Chongqing Zhifei Biological Products does

Chongqing Zhifei Biological Products is an integrated Chinese biopharmaceutical company that develops, manufactures, and distributes vaccines and biological products across prevention and treatment indications. The company operates through three wholly-owned and majority-owned operating entities: Beijing Zhifei Lvzhu (human vaccines including meningitis, pneumonia, rabies, and tetanus), Anhui Zhifei Longkema (influenza, mpox, and Japanese encephalitis vaccines), and the controlled subsidiary Chongqing Chen'an Bio (metabolic disease therapeutics including GLP-1 agonists and insulin). Headquartered in Chongqing's Liangjiang New Area with R&D centers in Beijing (Zhongguancun Yizhuang Park) and Shanghai (Pudong New Area Medical Valley PLUS), the company has 16 marketed products and 42 pipeline projects.

Zhifei's core technology stack spans multiple vaccine platforms: human diploid cell production (claimed superior safety versus traditional substrates), column chromatography antigen purification, mRNA and viral vector platforms, RSV combination vaccine technology (patented in the US, Europe, Russia, and China), and synthetic biology platforms (ProBVax, BioDVax) for bacterial vaccines via partnership with Delonix Bio. Over 60 international patents underpin these platforms, and cumulative R&D investment exceeded 60 billion yuan over the three most recent fiscal years. The company's dual-track 'prevention plus treatment' strategy pairs its traditional vaccine franchise with metabolic disease therapeutics developed through Chen'an Bio, including liraglutide, semaglutide, insulin degludec, and the GIP/GLP-1 dual agonist CA111.

The business model combines (a) exclusive distribution partnerships with multinational pharma — historically Merck (Gardasil, RotaTeq, Pneumovax 23) and GSK (Shingrix) for the Chinese market, restructured in 2024-2025 from minimum purchase commitments to demand-based supply, (b) self-developed vaccine and therapeutic sales through a direct field sales force targeting Chinese hospitals, CDC centers, and vaccination points, and (c) outbound licensing — exemplified by the July 2026 exclusive licensing of PDE3/4 inhibitor TQC3721 to AstraZeneca for $200 million upfront and up to $1.9 billion in milestones plus tiered double-digit royalties. International expansion covers 60+ countries with self-developed product exports and ongoing registrations in nearly 20 jurisdictions.

Name

Chongqing Zhifei Biological Products

Legal name

重庆智飞生物制品股份有限公司

Website

https://zhifeishengwu.com

Company type

Public

Founded year

2002

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

5,001–10,000 employees

Short description

Chongqing Zhifei Biological Products is a Chinese integrated biopharmaceutical company developing, manufacturing, and distributing self-developed and partnered vaccines plus metabolic therapeutics, serving Chinese hospitals, CDC centers, and vaccination points with an expanding international footprint.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Vaccines and Biological Products

NAICS

Biological Product (except Diagnostic) Manufacturing (325414), Pharmaceutical Preparation Manufacturing (325412)

SIC

Biological Products, (No Disgnostic Substances) (2836), Pharmaceutical Preparations (2834)

akta.pro primary industry

Infectious Disease & Pandemic Preparedness Vaccines (emerging pathogens) (HLAAAEAC)

akta.pro secondary industry

Vaccines & Public Health Product Distribution (CRAOAHAI)

Keywords

• Vaccine manufacturing
• Biological products
• Vaccine distribution
• Biopharmaceutical products
• Immunization therapeutics

Headquarters

HQ city

Jiangbei

HQ country

China

HQ region

Asia

Offices5 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

Operations, Technology or R&D, Personnel, Supply Chain, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. Distributed vaccine products: Zhifei distributes international vaccines from Merck (Gardasil, RotaTeq, Pneumovax 23) and GSK (Shingrix) in China, generating the majority of revenue historically. Revenue collapsed from 34.8 billion yuan in 2023 to below 2.2 billion yuan in 2025 due to domestic competition and market restructuring.
2. Self-developed vaccine products: Revenue from proprietary vaccines including meningitis, pneumonia, rabies, influenza, and other vaccines. Company has 16 products on market including 10 self-developed products. Four-valent influenza vaccine and other products launched in 2025.
3. Outbound licensing (TQC3721 to AstraZeneca): Exclusive licensing agreement with AstraZeneca for PDE3/4 inhibitor TQC3721 outside China. Zhifei receives $200 million upfront payment and potential milestone payments up to $1.9 billion, plus tiered royalties up to double-digit percentages on annual net sales.
4. Treatment products (metabolic diseases): Development and future commercialization of GLP-1 products including liraglutide, insulin degludec, semaglutide for diabetes and weight management through subsidiary Chen'an Bio.

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

Chongqing Zhifei Biological Products is a Chinese biopharmaceutical company that researches, develops, manufactures, and markets vaccines and biological products. The company also distributes vaccines from multinational pharmaceutical partners Merck and GSK within China, in addition to developing its own vaccines and therapeutics for metabolic diseases.

Product overview

Chongqing Zhifei Biological Products is an internationalized, full-chain high-tech biopharmaceutical enterprise integrating R&D, production, sales, distribution, and import/export. The company operates two main business segments: (1) Self-developed products including vaccines across multiple disease areas (meningococcal, pneumococcal, influenza, rabies, shingles, mpox, rotavirus, tetanus, diphtheria, norovirus, dysentery, RSV) and metabolic therapeutic drugs (GLP-1 agonists, insulin products); (2) Distributed products from partners including Merck's Gardasil (HPV), RotaTeq, and Pneumovax 23. The company has 16 products on market (including 1 conditionally approved) and 42 R&D projects spanning preventive vaccines, therapeutic biologics, and diagnostic products.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• 智飞绿竹: Wholly-owned subsidiary specializing in human vaccines including meningitis, pneumonia, and rabies vaccines
• 智飞龙科马
• 宸安生物

Products and services

• Self-developed vaccines

Quantifiable outcome

• $200 million upfront payment from AstraZeneca for TQC3721 licensing, with potential total deal value up to $1.9 billion plus tiered double-digit royalties.
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers2 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature5 records

Partnerships

Eight partnerships are on record, tiered flagship, core, minor and strategic.

• AstraZenecaflagshipStrategic or Co-development Partner · 8 July 2026Zhifei signed exclusive licensing agreement with AstraZeneca for PDE3/4 inhibitor TQC3721. AstraZeneca receives exclusive rights to develop, produce, and commercialize outside China. Terms include $200 million upfront payment, milestone payments up to $1.9 billion total, plus tiered royalties up to double-digit percentages on net sales.
• Chongqing Chen'an Bio (重庆宸安生物)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 June 2025Zhifei controls Chen'an Bio for metabolic disease therapeutics development including GLP-1 products (liraglutide, semaglutide), insulin degludec, and GIP/GLP-1 dual agonists. Chen'an Bio establishing Shanghai Innovation Incubator Center focusing on early-stage frontier biopharmaceutical projects, novel technology platforms, and pipeline expansion in diabetes, weight management, and MASH.
• Merck & Co. (MSD)coreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ Distributor · 1 January 2025Zhifei distributes Merck's vaccine portfolio in China including Gardasil (HPV), RotaTeq (rotavirus), and Pneumovax 23 (pneumococcal). Partnership restructured from minimum purchase commitments to demand-based rolling supply model in 2025, extending to end of 2028. Zhifei's procurement collapsed from 34.8 billion yuan in 2023 to below 2.2 billion yuan in 2025.
• Various overseas entities for Chen'an Bio productsminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2025Chen'an Bio's insulin degludec and semaglutide products are in cooperation discussions with multiple overseas entities, expanding Zhifei's international presence from prevention to treatment field.
• GSKcoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ Distributor · 1 December 2024Zhifei distributes GSK's Shingrix shingles vaccine in China. Partnership restructured in December 2024 amid broader shifts in China's vaccine landscape and demand for premium-priced vaccines.
• 羽冠生物 (Delonix Bio)strategicTechnology or Integration · 2 January 2024Zhifei's subsidiary Beijing Intelligent Lv Zhu signed cooperation and exclusive licensing agreement with 羽冠生物 for synthetic biology vaccine technology applications. Combines Lv Zhu's new vaccine development platform with 羽冠生物's ProBVax and BioDVax synthetic biology vaccine technology platforms for bacterial vaccine innovation. Lv Zhu gains exclusive authorization for research, development, production, and commercialization in designated regions.
• Beijing Jiaotong UniversityminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 September 2023Joint development partner for RSV combination vaccine technology, resulting in successful patent grants in US, Europe, Russia, and China.
• International Diarrheal Disease Research CenterminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2023Collaboration on Phase III clinical trial in Bangladesh for bivalent Shigella flexneri/Sonnei conjugate vaccine.

Scale indicators11 records

Recent moves8 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Broad incumbents

• Sanofi: Sanofi operates one of the world's largest vaccine franchises (influenza, pediatric, travel/endemic) and competes broadly with Zhifei across multiple vaccine categories, particularly in emerging markets and Asia-Pacific.
• Merck & Co. (MSD): Merck is Zhifei's principal distribution partner for Gardasil, RotaTeq, and Pneumovax 23 in China. It is also a broad incumbent in the global vaccine industry with overlapping vaccine R&D programs and competing pneumococcal/HPV franchises.
• GSK plc: GSK is Zhifei's distribution partner for Shingrix (shingles) in China and a major global vaccine manufacturer. The two companies compete across shingles, meningitis, and other vaccine indications globally.
• China National Biotec Group (CNBG / Sinopharm): CNBG is the largest state-owned vaccine manufacturer in China and supplies the bulk of China's National Immunization Program vaccines. It is a broad incumbent competing with Zhifei in both NIP and self-pay markets across multiple disease areas.

Direct peers

• Hualan Biological Engineering: Hualan is a major Chinese biological products manufacturer producing vaccines and blood products, competing with Zhifei in meningococcal, influenza, and other vaccine categories across both NIP and private markets.
• Sinovac Biotech: Sinovac is a Chinese vaccine manufacturer specializing in inactivated vaccines (influenza, hepatitis, COVID-19, enterovirus). It competes with Zhifei's self-developed vaccine portfolio, particularly in influenza and combination pediatric vaccines.
• CanSino Biologics: CanSino is a Chinese biopharmaceutical company focused on vaccine R&D and manufacturing, including adenoviral vector, mRNA, and protein-based vaccine platforms. It directly competes with Zhifei in novel vaccine platform development and COVID/emerging pathogen vaccines.
• Walvax Biotechnology: Walvax is one of China's largest vaccine manufacturers and a direct competitor in both self-developed vaccines (HPV, pneumococcal, influenza) and the broader Chinese vaccine distribution market. Its Cecolin HPV vaccine is the principal domestic competitor eating into Zhifei's Gardasil distribution volumes.

Emerging players

• Bharat Biotech: Bharat Biotech is an India-based vaccine and biotherapeutics manufacturer with a strong emerging-market pipeline (rotavirus, typhoid, COVID-19, malaria). It is comparable to Zhifei in its combination of self-developed vaccines and emerging-market distribution focus, particularly relevant for Zhifei's international expansion ambitions.

Others

• AstraZeneca: AstraZeneca is Zhifei's outbound licensing partner for TQC3721 (PDE3/4 inhibitor) and represents an adjacent/comparable peer in the broader respiratory and biopharmaceutical space. The licensing relationship establishes a strategic connection relevant to Zhifei's evolution as an innovator.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/chongqing-zhifei-biological-products-co-ltd-

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Subsidiaries3 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments1 record

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Chongqing Zhifei Biological Products