On Oct. 9, 2023, GlaxoSmithKline (GSK) announced that it had reached an exclusive agreement with Chongqing Zhifei Biological Products to co-promote GSK’s shingles vaccine, Shingrix, in China for an initial three-year period, with the potential to extend the partnership should all parties agree. Zhifei, the largest Chinese vaccine company by revenue, has a track record of driving access to innovative vaccines in China. By bringing together the scale and expertise of the two companies, the strategic partnership will significantly extend the availability of Shingrix, supporting the rapid expansion of patient access to the vaccine and future potential indications.

Set to start on 1 January 2024, Zhifei will have exclusive rights to import and distribute Shingrix in China – focusing on promoting the vaccine through its extensive service network, which covers more than 30,000 vaccination points across the country. In partnership, GSK – as the license holder for the product – will co-promote Shingrix by raising awareness of the importance of shingles vaccination amongst healthcare professionals within community health centres and hospital settings.

In August 2023, GSK announced positive data from the ZOSTER-076 phase IV trial showing that Shingrix demonstrated 100% vaccine efficacy in preventing shingles in Chinese adults aged 50 and over.