The United Laboratories International Holdings

What The United Laboratories International Holdings does

The United Laboratories International Holdings Limited (TUL) is a Hong Kong-headquartered, vertically integrated pharmaceutical group founded in 1990 and listed on the Hong Kong Stock Exchange (3933.HK) since 2007. The company operates four business segments: finished pharmaceutical products (antibiotics, insulin, GLP-1 injectables, cardiovascular and ophthalmic drugs), active pharmaceutical ingredients and intermediates (penicillins, cephalosporins, beta-lactamase inhibitors, carbapenems), biotechnology (with proprietary chemical peptide synthesis for triple GLP-1/GIP/GCG agonists), and animal health. TUL's technology base centers on large-scale fermentation for beta-lactam antibiotics, second- and third-generation insulin manufacturing, and a proprietary chemical peptide synthesis platform that produced UBT251, the first long-acting GLP-1/GIP/GCG triple agonist developed in China and the second globally.

TUL generates revenue through four channels: domestic finished product sales via a 4,000-person marketing network and 28 offices, institutional participation in China's national centralized drug procurement programs, international API/intermediate exports to 600+ customers across 70+ countries, and increasingly through out-licensing of innovative biologics to global partners (notably Novo Nordisk for UBT251, with $200M upfront and up to $2B in milestones). The company holds 66 overseas certifications including US FDA, EU CEP, and German BJV approvals, operates 11 manufacturing bases including a 1.58 million sqm Inner Mongolia flagship, and is a constituent of the Hang Seng Composite Index with an AA-grade MSCI ESG rating. The Tsoi/Choy founding family controls the group through Chairman Tsoi Hoi Shan and Executive Director Choy Siu Chit, with a 30+ year operating history and 18,000+ employees globally.

Name

The United Laboratories International Holdings

Legal name

The United Laboratories International Holdings Limited

Website

https://tul.com.cn

Company type

Public

Founded year

1990

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

5,001–10,000 employees

Short description

The United Laboratories International Holdings is a Hong Kong-headquartered, vertically integrated Chinese pharmaceutical group manufacturing APIs, finished drugs, biologics (including a proprietary GLP-1 triple agonist licensed to Novo Nordisk), and animal health products across 11 production bases, serving 600+ global B2B customers and institutional healthcare buyers in 70+ countries.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Pharmaceutical Manufacturing

NAICS

Drugs and Druggists' Sundries Merchant Wholesalers (424210), Chemical and Allied Products Merchant Wholesalers (4246)

SIC

Pharmaceutical Preparations (2834), Wholesale-Drugs, Proprietaries & Druggists' Sundries (5122)

akta.pro primary industry

Generic APIs & Intermediates (Active Ingredients) (HLAIABAG)

akta.pro secondary industry

Compounding Ingredient & API Distributors (Pharma Supply) (HLAIAJAO)

Keywords

• Pharmaceutical manufacturing
• Insulin production
• Active pharmaceutical ingredients
• Biopharmaceutical development
• Animal healthcare products

Headquarters

HQ city

Yuen Long

HQ country

Hong Kong SAR China

HQ region

Asia

Offices12 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Finished Pharmaceutical Products: Sale of finished dosage forms including antibiotics, diabetes medications, ophthalmic drugs, and other therapeutic categories through domestic sales network and international exports.
2. Active Pharmaceutical Ingredients (APIs) and Intermediates: Manufacturing and sale of bulk pharmaceuticals including penicillins, cephalosporins, beta-lactamase inhibitors, and carbapenems to global pharmaceutical manufacturers.
3. Licensing and Milestone Payments: Revenue from international licensing deals including upfront payments, development milestones, and royalties from partners like Novo Nordisk for drug candidates developed in China.
4. Veterinary Pharmaceuticals: Animal health products including antibiotics, antiparasitics, and biological products for livestock, poultry, pets, and aquaculture through subsidiaries.
5. Health Products and Medical Devices: Consumer health products including supplements and medical devices such as insulin pen injectors.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

TUL is an integrated pharmaceutical company that researches, manufactures, and sells finished pharmaceutical products, active pharmaceutical ingredients (APIs) and intermediates, biopharmaceuticals, and animal healthcare products. Its portfolio spans antibiotics (amoxicillin, cephalosporins), insulin and diabetes therapies (human insulin, insulin glargine, insulin degludec, liraglutide, semaglutide, and the investigational UBT251 GLP-1/GIP/GCG triple agonist licensed to Novo Nordisk), cardiovascular drugs, insulin pen devices, APIs/intermediates, veterinary medicines, and cosmetic peptides. Operations span 11 manufacturing bases with sales coverage across 70+ countries.

Product overview

The United Laboratories International Holdings (TUL) is a leading integrated Chinese pharmaceutical company engaged in R&D, manufacturing, and sales of pharmaceutical products. The company operates four business segments: Finished Products (制剂), APIs and Intermediates (原料药), Biotechnology (生物), and Animal Healthcare (动保). Key products include diabetes treatments such as UBT251 injection (GLP-1/GIP/GCG triple agonist developed with Novo Nordisk), human insulin (优思灵), insulin glargine (联邦优乐灵), liraglutide injection, and semaglutide injection; antibiotics including amoxicillin capsules (联邦阿莫仙), ampicillin capsules, and cefuroxime; medical devices such as insulin pens (联邦笔, 联邦优乐笔); and APIs/intermediates across penicillins, cephalosporins, β-lactamase inhibitors, and carbapenems. The company also produces veterinary products and cosmetic peptide series (联邦肽美丽). With 11 major manufacturing bases and sales network across 70+ countries, TUL holds MSCI ESG rating AA and is a constituent of the Hang Seng Composite Index.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• 联邦®阿莫仙® / Amoxil®: Amoxicillin capsules brand; recognized as a leading antibiotic brand in China with brand gold award.
• 联邦®优乐灵® / USLEN®
• 联邦®优思灵® / USLIN®
• 联邦®阿莫仙® / Anbixian®
• 联邦健怡美®
• 联邦笔® / UNIPEN®
• 联邦优乐笔®
• 联邦左福康®
• 联邦赛福欣®
• 联邦赛福美®
• 联邦肽美丽® / United Glam
• 联邦动保®
• 联邦®优利泰®
• 安必仙®

Products and services

• UBT251 Injection (GLP-1/GIP/GCG Triple Agonist) A triple GLP-1/GIP/glucagon receptor agonist injection developed by TUL for the treatment of type 2 diabetes, overweight/obesity, MASH, CKD, and OSA. Demonstrated up to 19.7% mean weight loss and 2.16% HbA1c reduction in Phase 2 trials. Out-licensed to Novo Nordisk for global development outside China; first-in-China and second-in-world triple agonist produced via chemical peptide synthesis.
• Liraglutide Injection (联邦优利泰) GLP-1 receptor agonist injection for type 2 diabetes treatment, sold under the brand 联邦优利泰. First product launched by TUL after securing segmented production approval, strengthening its GLP-1 diabetes franchise.
• Semaglutide Injection GLP-1 receptor agonist injection for overweight and obesity treatment; marketing application accepted by Chinese regulatory authorities in October 2024.
• Insulin Degludec Injection (德谷胰岛素) Long-acting third-generation insulin analog injection for diabetes treatment, approved for marketing in China in March 2026. Reinforces TUL's positioning as the first domestic company with both second- and third-generation insulin manufacturing capabilities.
• Human Insulin Injection (USLIN / 联邦优思灵)

Quantifiable outcome

• UBT251 achieved 19.7% mean body weight reduction after 24 weeks in Phase 2 trial, outperforming semaglutide
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers2 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature4 records

Partnerships

Five partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Novo NordiskcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 March 2025Exclusive global licensing agreement for UBT251 triple GLP-1/GIP/GCG agonist. Novo Nordisk paid $200 million upfront with potential total deal value up to $2 billion including milestones. Novo Nordisk holds development and commercialization rights outside mainland China, Hong Kong, Macau, and Taiwan. United Biotechnology (subsidiary) retains rights for Chinese mainland, Hong Kong, Macau, and Taiwan.
• Muyuan Foods Co., Ltd.minorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2022Joint venture establishing Henan Lianmu Veterinary Medicine Co., Ltd. for production of veterinary drugs including amoxicillin and ceftiofur for large-scale farming enterprises.
• Riverland Foods (New Zealand)minorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorPartnership to expand into premium pet food market marking United Animal Healthcare's first step toward international operations in animal health.
• Zhejiang Apeloa Biotechnology Co., Ltd.minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerJoint venture establishing Ningbo Pubang Biotechnology Co., Ltd. for strategic cooperation in veterinary medicine field.
• Guangdong Healthcare InstitutionsminorOthersPartnership with nearly 300 national certified drug clinical trial institutions including Peking Union Medical College Hospital, Chinese PLA General Hospital for clinical research.

Scale indicators10 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Broad incumbents

• Fosun Pharma: Larger Chinese pharma conglomerate with APIs, biosimilars, and innovative drugs. Broader geographic and therapeutic reach than TUL but operates in similar regulatory and VBP environment.
• Eli Lilly: Global GLP-1 incumbent with tirzepatide (Mounjaro/Zepbound). Operates in the same therapeutic space as TUL's UBT251 and broader diabetes franchise as a much larger, more diversified innovator.

Emerging players

• Jiangsu Hengrui Pharmaceuticals: Leading Chinese innovative drug developer with strong innovative pipeline including GLP-1 candidates. Comparable in innovative drug ambitions and Chinese commercialization scale, with more focus on innovative specialty drugs vs. TUL's legacy API base.

Direct peers

• Sino Biopharmaceutical Limited: Major Hong Kong-listed Chinese pharma with innovative drugs, APIs, and biosimilars. Comparable in scale, therapeutic breadth, and Chinese VBP exposure.
• Novo Nordisk: Global GLP-1 leader and TUL's UBT251 licensing partner. Directly comparable as both target the diabetes/obesity market with peptide agonists, though Novo Nordisk operates at vastly larger scale with semaglutide and tirzepatide competing franchises.
• CSPC Pharmaceutical Group: Hong Kong-listed Chinese pharma with strong innovative drug pipeline and oncology focus. Comparable in scale and pipeline ambition, though more weighted to oncology than TUL's metabolic/infectious disease focus.
• Gan & Lee Pharmaceuticals: Chinese insulin specialist (Shanghai-listed) competing directly with TUL's insulin franchise. Both companies produce second and third-generation insulin products for the Chinese market, making them the closest direct competitors in chronic disease biologics.
• Tonghua Dongbao Pharmaceutical: Chinese insulin manufacturer with deep human insulin and analog product line. Direct competitor in China's insulin and diabetes therapeutic area with overlapping VBP exposure.
• China Grand Pharmaceutical and Healthcare Holdings: Hong Kong-listed Chinese pharmaceutical company with similar API manufacturing and finished product portfolio. Comparable business model spanning APIs, branded drugs, and international exports.
• Shanghai Pharmaceuticals Holding: One of China's largest integrated pharmaceutical groups with APIs, finished products, and distribution. Directly comparable in vertical integration, scale, and exposure to Chinese centralized procurement.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat6 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/zhuhai-united-laboratories-trading-co.-ltd

Compliance11 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles4 records

Subsidiaries14 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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

M&A

Investments

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

Frequently asked questions about The United Laboratories International Holdings