Kangle Weishi Completes Over RMB 1 Billion Pre-IPO Financing Round Led by CCB International and Other Prominent Investors

VCBeat (WeChat ID: vcbeat) recently learned that Beijing Health Guard Biotechnology, Inc. (hereinafter referred to as “Health Guard”) announced the completion ofPre-IPO round financing, raising RMB 1.015 billion, with major investors including well-known industry investment institutions such as CCB International, Yunfeng Capital, Jimin Kexin, and Yingke Capital;In this transaction, WinX Capital and China Renaissance served as joint financial advisors.

It is reported that this round of financing will be primarily used for the clinical studies of the company’s recombinant human papillomavirus (HPV) trivalent vaccine (types 16/18/58) and recombinant HPV nonavalent vaccine (types 6/11/16/18/31/33/45/52/58), the construction of the Kunming vaccine industrial base, preclinical and clinical studies of the recombinant norovirus vaccine and recombinant COVID-19 vaccine, preclinical studies of other products in the pipeline, and supplementation of working capital.

Previously, Health Guard completed three rounds of premium-priced equity financing in 2015, 2019, and 2020, raising RMB 30 million, RMB 50.71 million, and RMB 650 million, respectively.

Hao Chunli, Chairman of Health Guard, responded, “We sincerely thank the investors who have accompanied Health Guard on this journey. Thank you all for your unwavering support over the years. With your backing, Health Guard is poised to achieve greater excellence and become a platform enterprise dedicated to new drug R&D.”

Health Guard was able to successfully complete this financing round, primarily due to the strong development of its core business, particularly as its trivalent HPV and nonavalent HPV vaccines have entered Phase III clinical trials.

Health Guard, established in 2008, specializes in the research and development of structure-based recombinant protein therapeutics. The company has progressively built multiple key technological platforms that are leading both domestically and internationally, including recombinant virus-like particle (VLP) vaccine design, VLP protein expression and vaccine engineering technologies, quality evaluation of VLP vaccines, and vaccine antibody preparation and testing. Additionally, it has established a pilot-scale production base compliant with Good Manufacturing Practice (GMP) standards.

Leveraging these R&D platforms, Health Guard has successfully developed recombinant trivalent and nonavalent human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccines for the prevention of cervical cancer and other malignant tumors, and is currently advancing major projects including a recombinant pentadecavalent HPV vaccine, recombinant bivalent COVID-19 vaccine, recombinant norovirus vaccine, recombinant hand, foot, and mouth disease vaccine, recombinant polio vaccine, recombinant respiratory syncytial virus vaccine, recombinant herpes zoster vaccine, recombinant combined hepatitis A and B vaccine, and recombinant quadrivalent influenza vaccine.

Recombinant vaccines have been verified as the safest vaccines to date, a principle that Health Guard has consistently adhered to in its vaccine development—focusing on creating safe and high-quality vaccines. Consequently, recombinant technology has become the core focus of Health Guard’s vaccine R&D efforts. Furthermore, vaccine development should be market-driven. In light of the trend toward endemic COVID-19, Health Guard has independently developed a recombinant bivalent COVID-19 vaccine capable of preventing infection by variant strains, thereby broadening protective coverage and enhancing immunogenicity and immune durability.

Health Guard prioritizes the R&D of vaccine products that serve as major import substitutes and address significant disease burdens, such as the recombinant bivalent COVID-19 vaccine, recombinant norovirus vaccine, recombinant hand, foot, and mouth disease (HFMD) vaccine, recombinant herpes zoster vaccine, recombinant respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) vaccine, and recombinant quadrivalent influenza vaccine.

Currently, Health Guard’s trivalent and nonavalent HPV vaccines are progressing smoothly, with both having entered Phase III clinical trials. Meanwhile, the company has completed construction of its main production facilities, with an estimated annual production capacity of 30 million doses post-commissioning.

Health Guard’s independently developed HPV vaccine demonstrates absolute advantages in cost, safety, and immunogenicity. First, leveraging Health Guard’s proprietary manufacturing technology, the average production cycle for each batch of the HPV vaccine is only 8–10 days, and the protein yield from each fermentation batch is sufficient for filling at least 300,000 doses, effectively reducing the unit cost of the vaccine. Second, in clinical trials involving more than 20,000 participants for Health Guard’s trivalent and nonavalent HPV vaccines, the vaccine exhibited a favorable safety profile, even in high-dose groups. Finally, when compared within the same cohorts to currently marketed vaccines, Health Guard’s HPV vaccine demonstrated immunogenicity comparable to that of existing products.

Since its inception, Health Guard has prioritized both organic and inorganic growth, achieving several milestones that have earned it a strong reputation and widespread recognition from numerous partners within the industry. In 2019, Health Guard partnered with Liaoning Cheng Da Biological Product Co., Ltd. to develop a 15-valent HPV vaccine covering the highest number of genotypes globally. In 2021, the company further collaborated with a Russian pharmaceutical group to jointly develop the market for its 9-valent HPV vaccine within Russia.

To achieve long-term development in the vaccine sector, Hao Chunli, Chairman of Health Guard, stated that companies require not only core technologies but also a dedicated technical team capable of facilitating technology translation. Furthermore, enterprises must possess an innovative development philosophy, accurate market positioning, and clear goals and strategic direction. Beyond these elements, Health Guard has cultivated a supportive atmosphere for innovative R&D and established a scientific, advanced operational mechanism, to which the company has been committed for many years.