Cervical Cancer Vaccine Launches in China — A ¥200 Billion Market
Aug 5, 2017
British pharmaceutical company GSK has officially launched its two-valent cervical cancer vaccine Cervarix in mainland China.
Originally published by Qdaily in Chinese
By Lianchao LAN and Xinyu Wen
British pharmaceutical company GSK has officially launched its two-valent cervical cancer vaccine Cervarix in mainland China, targeting HPV types 16 and 18, which cause about 70% of cervical cancer cases. Priced at ¥580 per dose, the full three-dose course costs ¥1,740.
Based on the target group of women aged 9–25, the potential market is estimated at ¥2.13 trillion if every eligible woman were vaccinated. Even at a modest 10% uptake, projected sales far exceed GSK’s current global revenue from this product.
Previously, many mainland women traveled to Hong Kong or Macau for vaccination at higher prices. With local approval, GSK joins rival Merck — whose quadrivalent Gardasil was approved in May — in tapping China’s huge and growing HPV vaccine market. As eligibility may expand beyond 25 years and wealthier consumers opt for four- or nine-valent vaccines, the market could grow even larger, though uptake in poorer regions will depend heavily on government support.
