British pharmaceutical firm GlaxoSmithKline (GSK) has reached an exclusive agreement with Chongqing Zhifei Biological Products, Ltd. (Zhifei) 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.

Subject to the terms of the agreement, Zhifei will purchase agreed volumes of Shingrix with a value to GSK of £2.5 billion in total over the initial three-year period. These volumes are expected to be phased over this time as demand is expected to accelerate steadily through the period. There is potential to extend the partnership should all parties agree. The partnership supports and accelerates GSK’s commitment to double global Shingrix sales, reaching more than £4 billion by 2026.

Under the terms of the strategic partnership, Zhifei has granted GSK the right of first refusal to be their exclusive partner for any co-development and commercialisation of an RSV vaccine for older adults in China, paving the way for the companies to potentially partner on Arexvy upon approval in China.