Walvax Biotechnology
Walvax Biotechnology is a publicly listed Chinese vaccine manufacturer developing and commercializing conjugate, recombinant, and mRNA vaccines — including PCV13, WHO-prequalified bivalent HPV vaccine Walrinvax, and preservative-free PPSV23 — for sale through China's NIP, international government tenders, UN procurement, and technology transfer partnerships across 26 countries.
- Company typePublic
- Founded2001
- HeadquartersKunming, China
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingHardware or Manufacturing
What Walvax Biotechnology does
Walvax Biotechnology Co., Ltd. (云南沃森生物技术股份有限公司) is a publicly listed Chinese vaccine manufacturer (Shenzhen Stock Exchange, ticker 300142.SZ, ChiNext board) founded in 2001 and headquartered in Kunming, Yunnan Province. The company develops, manufactures, and commercializes a portfolio of nine licensed vaccines (13 presentations) spanning conjugate, polysaccharide, recombinant subunit, and mRNA platforms. Core commercial products include PCV13 (second approved 13-valent pneumococcal conjugate vaccine globally), the world's first preservative-free PPSV23, Hib vaccine, AC and ACYW135 meningococcal vaccines, DTaP, and Walrinvax — a Pichia pastoris-expressed bivalent HPV vaccine that became the first Chinese private-sector HPV vaccine to receive WHO prequalification in August 2024. The technology stack rests on proprietary conjugate vaccine chemistry, a Pichia pastoris recombinant expression system, a novel human diploid cell line (Walvax-2), CpG ODN adjuvant technology, and an mRNA vaccine platform with a 60-day lead time from DNA sequence to sample test.
Revenue derives from four streams: domestic Chinese vaccine sales via the National Immunization Program (NIP) and private market, international vaccine exports to 26 countries, technology transfer and licensing for local production in emerging markets, and international development funding from Gates Foundation and CEPI. Manufacturing capacity totals 390 million doses per year across facilities in Yuxi (128-acre, 148,000 sqm), Shanghai, Beijing, and Kunming, designed to China, EU, WHO GMP, PIC/S, and ISPE standards. GTM operates almost entirely through institutional channels: government tenders, UN procurement (UNICEF, PAHO), Gavi supply commitments, bilateral government-to-government agreements (Morocco, Indonesia, Egypt, Thailand, India, Uzbekistan), and technology transfer partnerships with local manufacturers (Pharmaniaga Malaysia, Etana Indonesia, Vacsera and VBC Egypt). The company employs 11-50 staff at the listed entity level (broader group headcount not disclosed), generated USD 344 million in 2025 revenue, ranks among WHO's Top 10 vaccine manufacturers by value (2022 excluding COVID-19), and has supplied over 270 million doses cumulatively to China and 17 developing countries.
Walvax Biotechnology firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Walvax Biotechnology
- Legal name
- 云南沃森生物技术股份有限公司
- Website
- https://walvax.com
- Company type
- Public
- Founded year
- 2001
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Short description
- Walvax Biotechnology is a publicly listed Chinese vaccine manufacturer developing and commercializing conjugate, recombinant, and mRNA vaccines — including PCV13, WHO-prequalified bivalent HPV vaccine Walrinvax, and preservative-free PPSV23 — for sale through China's NIP, international government tenders, UN procurement, and technology transfer partnerships across 26 countries.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Walvax Biotechnology industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Vaccines
- NAICS
- Biological Product (except Diagnostic) Manufacturing (325414)
- SIC
- Biological Products, (No Disgnostic Substances) (2836)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Prophylactic Human Vaccines (routine, pediatric, adult) (HLAAAEAA)
Keywords
Where Walvax Biotechnology is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Kunming
- HQ country
- China
- HQ region
- Asia
Offices5 records
Markets served
Walvax Biotechnology business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Hardware or Manufacturing
- Cost components
- Technology or R&D, Infrastructure, Supply Chain, Operations, Personnel, Marketing or Sales
Revenue model
- Vaccine Sales (Domestic China): Domestic vaccine sales through government procurement via National Immunization Program (NIP) and private market sales of non-EPI vaccines.
- International Vaccine Export: Export of finished vaccine products and bulk drug substance to international markets including WHO prequalified product procurement, bilateral government contracts, and commercial sales through distributors.
- Technology Transfer and Licensing: Revenue from technology transfer partnerships for local vaccine production in target markets such as Egypt, Indonesia, Malaysia, Uzbekistan.
- International Development Funding: Project funding and grants from international organizations (Gates Foundation, CEPI) for vaccine development and WHO prequalification.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| One time/ perpetual license | Multi-year contract | HPV vaccine government procurement pricing |
Go-to-market motion3 records
Distribution channels5 records
Marketing channels4 records
Walvax Biotechnology product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Walvax Biotechnology researches, develops, manufactures, and commercializes vaccines for infectious disease prevention. Its commercial portfolio includes 13-valent pneumococcal conjugate vaccine (PCV13), 23-valent pneumococcal polysaccharide vaccine (PPSV23), bivalent HPV vaccine (Walrinvax), Hib vaccine, meningococcal polysaccharide and conjugate vaccines (AC, ACYW135, MPV AC), DTaP vaccine, and SARS-CoV-2 mRNA vaccines (AWcorna, RQ3013). The company also generates revenue through technology transfer for local vaccine production in emerging markets.
Product overview
Walvax Biotechnology is a leading Chinese vaccine manufacturer engaged in research and development, manufacturing, and distribution of safe and efficacious vaccines. The company has developed and commercialized multiple vaccine products across its portfolio: PCV13 (13-valent pneumococcal conjugate vaccine) for pediatric pneumococcal disease prevention, PPSV23 (23-valent pneumococcal polysaccharide vaccine) for broader serotype coverage, Hib vaccine, AC conjugate vaccine, MPV ACYW135 (quadrivalent meningococcal polysaccharide vaccine), Walrinvax (bivalent HPV vaccine using Pichia pastoris expression), MPV AC, and DTaP (diphtheria-tetanus-pertussis) vaccine. The company has also developed mRNA vaccine technology platforms producing AWcorna (COVID-19 mRNA vaccine) and RQ3013 (variant mRNA vaccine). Products span both immunogenicity program (EPI) vaccines and non-EPI (private market) vaccines. Walvax serves domestic China markets through provincial coverage and exports to over 26 countries globally.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- Walrinvax: Prophylactic pichia pastoris-expressed bivalent (types 16 and 18) HPV vaccine developed by Shanghai Zerun Biotechnology, WHO prequalified in August 2024
- Weuphoria
- AWcorna
- Walrinvax
Products and services
- 13-valent Pneumococcal Polysaccharide Conjugate Vaccine (PCV13) 13-valent pneumococcal conjugate vaccine for prevention of invasive diseases caused by 13 serotypes of Streptococcus pneumoniae in infants and children aged 6 weeks through 5 years; second approved 13-valent PCV in the world, using tetanus toxoid carrier protein.
- 23-valent Pneumococcal Polysaccharide Vaccine (PPSV23) 23-valent pneumococcal polysaccharide vaccine for prevention of pneumococcal diseases caused by 23 serotypes of Streptococcus pneumoniae in individuals aged 2 years and above; world's first preservative-free PPSV23.
- b-type Haemophilus influenzae Conjugate Vaccine (Hib Vaccine) Hib vaccine for prevention of invasive infections caused by Haemophilus influenzae type b including meningitis, pneumonia, and septicemia, for infants aged 2 months through children aged 5 years.
- Group A and C Meningococcal Polysaccharide Conjugate Vaccine (AC Conjugate Vaccine) AC group meningococcal polysaccharide conjugate vaccine for prevention of meningococcal meningitis and septicemia caused by Group A and Group C meningococcus, for children aged 3 months to 5 years.
- ACYW135 Group Meningococcal Polysaccharide Vaccine (MPV ACYW135) Quadrivalent meningococcal polysaccharide vaccine for prevention of epidemic cerebrospinal meningitis caused by Group A, C, Y, and W135 meningococcus, for children aged 2 years and above and high-risk adults.
- Bivalent Human Papillomavirus Vaccine (Pichia pastoris) — Walrinvax / HPV-2 Bivalent HPV vaccine expressed in Pichia pastoris yeast for prevention of cervical cancer and precancerous lesions caused by HPV types 16 and 18, approved for females aged 9-30 years. WHO prequalified in August 2024.
- Group A and C Meningococcal Polysaccharide Vaccine (MPV AC)
- Diphtheria, Tetanus and Acellular Pertussis Combined Vaccine (DTaP Vaccine)
- AWcorna (SARS-CoV-2 mRNA Vaccine) SARS-CoV-2 mRNA vaccine developed with Suzhou Abogen Biosciences, encoding the receptor-binding domain of the spike protein; demonstrated 83.58% efficacy against wild-type SARS-CoV-2 and 71.17% against Omicron variant; storage at 2-8°C.
- RQ3013 (SARS-CoV-2 Variant mRNA Vaccine)
Quantifiable outcome
- PCV13 maintains leading market share in China since 2021
- +4 more outcomes
Companies that use Walvax Biotechnology
Customer profileNamed customers8 records
Segments4 records
Ideal customer profiles4 records
Walvax Biotechnology technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed Yes
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature6 records
Walvax Biotechnology partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
15 partnerships are on record, tiered significant, core and supporting.
- Pharmaniaga Lifescience Sdn. Bhd. (Malaysia)significantAgreement signed for finished product distribution and local production of PCV-13 in Malaysia, the 6th local production project following Morocco, Indonesia, Egypt, Mexico and Bangladesh. Facilitated by Dubai-based RevonBio FZ-LLC.
- Uzbekistan GovernmentsignificantDiscussions with Uzbekistan government delegation to establish local vaccine production, focusing on technology transfer, product registration, and partner selection for Central Asian market expansion.
- Vacsera (Egypt)significantMOU signed with Egyptian pharmaceutical company Vacsera for local production of meningococcal vaccines in Egypt as part of EVMA initiative.
- VBC (Vaccines and Biotechnology City, Egypt)significantMOU signed with VBC for local production of PCV13 and HPV2 vaccines in Egypt, collaborating to build Egypt as Africa regional vaccine manufacturing hub.
- PT Etana Biotechnologies IndonesiasignificantMOU signed at B20 Summit for localization of PCV and HPV vaccines in Indonesia. Second vaccine collaboration following COVID-19 mRNA vaccine partnership. Witnessed by Indonesian Minister of Health.
- Suzhou Abogen Biosciences (Abogen)coreJoint development of SARS-CoV-2 mRNA vaccine (AWcorna) with Abogen. Walvax provides manufacturing capability while Abogen provides mRNA technology platform. Indonesian EUA obtained September 2022.
- CEPI (Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations)coreCEPI partnership with Shanghai Zerun Biotech (Walvax subsidiary) providing $13.1 million initial funding, later expanded by $8.15 million additional investment totaling $25.1 million for COVID-19 prototype and variant vaccine development including Phase I clinical trials in Mali.
- Gavi, the Vaccine AlliancecoreWalvax committed to supply over half of HPV vaccine production capacity to Gavi-supported countries at affordable prices. Commitment made at 2020 Global Vaccine Summit to provide sufficient supply for 84 million girls in Gavi countries.
- WHO (World Health Organization)coreWHO prequalification achieved for HPV vaccine (Walrinvax) enabling UN procurement access. Ongoing collaboration for PQ process and engagement with WHO initiatives for vaccine equity.
- UNICEFcoreUNICEF procurement partnership for WHO prequalified vaccines. Walrinvax eligible for UNICEF procurement through Gavi-supported country programs.
- PATHcorePATH providing technical assistance for Walrinvax WHO prequalification since 2017, including quality management, pharmacovigilance, and CMC support.
- DCVMN (Developing Countries Vaccine Manufacturers Network)coreDCVMN membership with Mr. Andrew Wong serving as Board Member for 2023-2025 term, the only Chinese vaccine company representative on the board. Active participation in annual meetings and knowledge sharing.
- RevonBio FZ-LLCsupportingDubai-based commercial biologics enterprise supporting Walvax in commercializing products across emerging markets, including facilitation of Malaysia partnership.
- Shanghai RNACure Biopharma (RNAcure)coreCollaboration with RNAcure for SARS-CoV-2 variant mRNA vaccine RQ3013 development. Phase 3b clinical trial data published in eClinicalMedicine demonstrating superior immunogenicity as heterologous booster.
- Fudan UniversitysupportingAcademic partnership for mRNA vaccine technology platform development and expertise sharing, along with collaboration on COVID-19 variant vaccine development.
Scale indicators16 records
Recent moves8 records
Expansion highlights6 records
Walvax Biotechnology competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Bharat Biotech: Indian vaccine manufacturer with WHO-prequalified portfolio including rotavirus, typhoid, and COVID-19 vaccines. Comparable as an emerging market vaccine innovator with WHO prequalification focus, DCVMN membership, and global health organization partnerships.
- Sinovac Biotech: Chinese vaccine manufacturer with broad portfolio including COVID-19, influenza, and hepatitis vaccines. Comparable in domestic market positioning, export focus to emerging markets, and platform breadth across inactivated, recombinant, and combination vaccines.
- CanSino Biologics: Chinese vaccine developer with adenovirus vector and mRNA platforms, including WHO-prequalified COVID-19 and meningitis vaccines. Comparable as a Chinese-listed vaccine innovator pursuing international WHO prequalification and emerging market expansion.
- Hualan Biological Engineering: Chinese vaccine and blood product manufacturer with influenza and other vaccine franchises. Comparable as a domestically focused vaccine company with similar scale, listed status on Chinese exchanges, and EPI program participation.
- Zhifei Biological Products: Major Chinese HPV vaccine distributor and competitor, controlling the agency rights for Merck's Gardasil in China. Direct competitor to Walrinvax in the Chinese HPV market with overlapping NIP procurement exposure.
Emerging players
- Biological E: Indian vaccine manufacturer expanding into PCV and other conjugate vaccines with WHO prequalification focus. Comparable as a developing country vaccine manufacturer pursuing the same WHO-PQ pathway and Gavi/UNICEF procurement access.
Broad incumbents
- China National Biotec Group (CNBG/Sinopharm): State-owned largest Chinese vaccine manufacturer with extensive EPI portfolio including polio, measles, and COVID-19 vaccines. Competes with Walvax in NIP procurement and serves as the dominant domestic incumbent across most vaccine categories.
- Serum Institute of India: World's largest vaccine manufacturer by doses, supplying WHO/UNICEF/Gavi programs globally. Direct competitor in emerging market NIP procurement, with WHO-prequalified PCV and HPV products that overlap Walvax's portfolio priorities.
- Pfizer (Prevnar franchise): Developer of Prevnar 13/20, the originator PCV products. Direct reference competitor for Walvax's PCV13, with Walvax's vaccine having demonstrated non-inferior immunogenicity to Pfizer's reference product.
- Merck (Gardasil franchise): Developer of Gardasil HPV vaccines. Walvax's Walrinvax competes with Merck's HPV franchise in global markets, particularly in emerging markets where Merck holds established supply agreements.
Market position
Strengths4 records
Weaknesses4 records
Competitive moat6 records
Key risks5 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Walvax Biotechnology social profiles
Digital presenceWalvax Biotechnology compliance and trust
Trust signalCompliance6 records
Walvax Biotechnology financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Walvax Biotechnology leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles6 records
Walvax Biotechnology subsidiaries and ownership
Company hierarchySubsidiaries5 records
Walvax Biotechnology funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds1 record
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Walvax Biotechnology M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A1 record
Investments2 records
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Walvax Biotechnology
What does Walvax Biotechnology do?
Walvax Biotechnology researches, develops, manufactures, and commercializes vaccines for infectious disease prevention. Its commercial portfolio includes 13-valent pneumococcal conjugate vaccine (PCV13), 23-valent pneumococcal polysaccharide vaccine (PPSV23), bivalent HPV vaccine (Walrinvax), Hib vaccine, meningococcal polysaccharide and conjugate vaccines (AC, ACYW135, MPV AC), DTaP vaccine, and SARS-CoV-2 mRNA vaccines (AWcorna, RQ3013). The company also generates revenue through technology transfer for local vaccine production in emerging markets.
Is Walvax Biotechnology a public or private company?
Walvax Biotechnology is a public company. It is classified as public and is currently operating.
When was Walvax Biotechnology founded?
Walvax Biotechnology was founded in 2001. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is Walvax Biotechnology based?
Walvax Biotechnology is headquartered in Kunming, China, in the Asia region.
How does Walvax Biotechnology make money?
Four revenue lines are on record. Vaccine Sales (Domestic China) is the primary driver. The others are international Vaccine Export, technology Transfer and Licensing and international Development Funding.
Who are Walvax Biotechnology's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Bharat Biotech, Sinovac Biotech, CanSino Biologics, Hualan Biological Engineering and Zhifei Biological Products. Biological E is listed as an emerging player. Broad incumbents are China National Biotec Group (CNBG/Sinopharm), Serum Institute of India, Pfizer (Prevnar franchise) and Merck (Gardasil franchise).
Does Walvax Biotechnology have an API?
No public API is recorded for Walvax Biotechnology.
What industry is Walvax Biotechnology in?
Walvax Biotechnology's product category is Vaccines. Its primary akta.pro industry code is HLAAAEAA, Prophylactic Human Vaccines (routine, pediatric, adult). Its NAICS code is 325414 and its SIC code is 2836.