Zhong Guo Jing Ying Bao·2025-05-18 23:22Core Viewpoint - The performance of major Chinese vaccine companies, including Wantai Biological Pharmacy (万泰生物), Zhifei Biological Products (智飞生物), and Watson Bio (沃森生物), has significantly declined in Q1 2025, primarily due to a shrinking self-paid market for HPV vaccines amid economic pressures [1] Group 1: Company Performance - Wantai Biological reported a revenue of 401 million yuan in Q1 2025, a year-on-year decrease of 46.76%, with a net loss of 52.78 million yuan [1] - Zhifei Biological's revenue fell to 2.374 billion yuan, down 79.16% year-on-year, resulting in a net loss of 305 million yuan [1] - Watson Bio achieved a revenue of 462 million yuan, a decline of 22.93%, with a net profit of 2.65 million yuan, down 81.27% [1] Group 2: Market Dynamics - The HPV vaccine market is experiencing a significant contraction, with a 61.57% year-on-year drop in the total number of HPV vaccine batches approved for sale in 2024 [3] - The two-valent HPV vaccine's sales revenue for Wantai Biological plummeted by 84.69% to 606 million yuan in 2024, influenced by price reductions and increased competition from the nine-valent HPV vaccine [3][4] - The price of HPV vaccines has drastically decreased, with the two-valent vaccine's procurement price dropping from over 300 yuan to 27.5 yuan in Shandong province, reflecting a nearly 90% decline [7] Group 3: Competitive Landscape - The introduction of the nine-valent HPV vaccine has intensified competition, with consumers favoring higher-priced vaccines, leading to a sharp decline in demand for the two-valent vaccine [4] - Zhifei Biological, as the exclusive agent for Merck's HPV vaccines, faced a 95.49% drop in the issuance of four-valent HPV vaccines in 2024, exacerbated by Merck's suspension of supplies to China [4][5] - The price war in the HPV vaccine market has severely compressed profit margins, with Wantai Biological's vaccine segment gross margin falling from 91.6% in 2022 to 70.4% in 2024 [7] Group 4: Future Outlook - The development of domestic nine-valent HPV vaccines is accelerating, with several companies, including Wantai Biological, advancing their clinical trials [8] - The potential introduction of male-targeted HPV vaccines may open new growth avenues, as Merck's four-valent HPV vaccine has been approved for male use [9]