After Pfizer covid-19 specific drug was authorized for emergency use in the United States and approved with conditions in China, “who can become the Chinese partner related to Pfizer covid-19 oral drug” has triggered all kinds of speculation. Up to now, only China Meheco Group Co.Ltd(600056) has clearly announced the agreement with the company to become a COVID-19 oral drug Paxlovid, which is responsible for the commercial operation of the drug in the Chinese mainland market.
In addition, many listed companies such as Porton Pharma Solutions Ltd(300363) , Zhejiang Hisun Pharmaceutical Co.Ltd(600267) , Asymchem Laboratories (Tianjin) Co.Ltd(002821) , Aba Chemicals Corporation(300261) , etc. have been considered or have cooperative relations with Pfizer covid-19 oral medicine in terms of contract customized R & D and production (cdmo), API, etc., and their share prices have also risen in different periods of time.
China Meheco Group Co.Ltd(600056) win the operation right of Pfizer covid-19 in China
On December 22, 2021, Pfizer covid-19 oral drug nimatovir tablets / ritonavir tablets (trade name “paxlovid”) was authorized by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for emergency use. In February this year, the State Food and Drug Administration approved paxlovid import registration with conditions. The drug is an oral small molecule covid-19 virus therapeutic drug. It is a compound preparation composed of 3CL protease inhibitor namatvir tablets and ritonavir tablets.
According to the license agreement signed between Pfizer and the international organization drug patent pool (MPP), generic pharmaceutical enterprises with authorized licenses can produce and supply paxlovid to 95 low – and middle-income countries and regions, covering about 53% of the world’s population. Pfizer will not charge royalties for drug sales in low-income countries and will waive royalties for drug sales in all countries covered by the agreement.
The list of generic drug manufacturers authorized by Pfizer through MPP has not been released. Who will be Pfizer’s Chinese partner of covid-19 oral medicine has become the focus of Chinese capital. A week ago, it was rumored that China Meheco Group Co.Ltd(600056) would reach a cooperation with Pfizer, and its share price started the crazy growth mode. As of the closing on March 10, there had been five trading limits in seven days, with a cumulative increase of 71.44%.
In March 9th, China Meheco Group Co.Ltd(600056) announced its agreement with the company and was responsible for Pfizer Paxlovid’s commercial operation in Chinese mainland in 2022. In the announcement, China Meheco Group Co.Ltd(600056) reminded that the scale of relevant business is expected to account for a small proportion of its overall business volume, which has no significant impact on the recent operating performance, and the main business will not rely on the counterparty for such transactions.
two large cdmo orders related to Pfizer covid-19
Besides China Meheco Group Co.Ltd(600056) , which other Chinese pharmaceutical companies may become partners of Pfizer covid-19 oral medicine? In the market speculation, a number of listed enterprises have entered the vision of investors.
Among them, since November last year, two Chinese contract customized R & D and production (cdmo) enterprises have successively issued huge order announcements, which attracted attention. On November 17, 2021, Asymchem Laboratories (Tianjin) Co.Ltd(002821) issued a major contract announcement, saying that in the process of continuously providing cdmo services for a small molecule chemical innovative drug of a large pharmaceutical company in the United States (hereinafter referred to as the “customer”), the two subsidiaries signed a new batch of supply contracts for related products with the customer. As of the signing date of the contract, The cumulative contract amount of cdmo service of this product is about 481 million US dollars. Because it involves trade secrets, the announcement does not disclose the basic information and product related information of the counterparty.
Porton Pharma Solutions Ltd(300363) the announcement of major orders released on February 11 this year said that the new batch of purchase orders received from Pfizer’s companies will provide them with contract customized R & D and production (cdmo) services. The total amount of new orders is 681 million US dollars (about 4.3 billion yuan in total), more than 50% of the audited operating revenue of the company in the latest fiscal year.
Although the two cdmo companies did not disclose whether the orders were related to Pfizer covid-19 oral medicine, some analysts in the industry believe that these orders all point to Pfizer covid-19 oral medicine paxlovid.
was posted as “covid-19 oral drug concept stock”, and the enterprise refuted the rumor
In addition, some listed companies have been labeled as “covid-19 oral drug concept stock” after being caught in the wind.
On November 4 last year, the official website of the listed company Aba Chemicals Corporation(300261) released an express: the commercial mass production of the pharmaceutical intermediate carbonic anhydride produced by the company was smooth, with a monthly production scale of 20 tons. The key component of the intermediate of the raw material of Pfizer oral drug paxlovid involves carbonic anhydride. Since then, Aba Chemicals Corporation(300261) has been labeled as “covid-19 oral drug concept stock”, and the stock price has been singing all the way. Due to the sharp rise in the share price, Aba Chemicals Corporation(300261) has issued six announcements of abnormal stock price fluctuations, and suspended trading for verification twice due to serious abnormal fluctuations. The Shenzhen Stock Exchange has sent four letters of concern, questioning whether it caters to market hot spots and hypes the share price.
In response, Aba Chemicals Corporation(300261) replied that it was not known that the raw material of Pfizer covid-19 oral drug may involve carbonic anhydride when releasing the relevant information of carbonic anhydride on November 4, 2021. It was not learned from China International Capital Corporation Limited(601995) report one month later that carbonic anhydride can be used in Pfizer covid-19 oral drug from the synthetic process, Therefore, there is no case that covid-19 drug hot spots are rubbed by information released on the official website, nor is there any case that violates fair information disclosure and is easy to cater to market hot spots and speculate stock prices through interaction.
Although Aba Chemicals Corporation(300261) said that it did not sign any cooperation agreement with Pfizer, did not supply carlon anhydride and its derivatives to Pfizer, and was unable to determine whether such products were indirectly supplied to Pfizer, investors did not buy it. On March 9, some investors still asked Aba Chemicals Corporation(300261) , “who is the specific sales of carbonic anhydride and the specific company name”, Aba Chemicals Corporation(300261) refused to disclose it on the grounds of “involving trade secrets”.
Previously, Zhejiang Hisun Pharmaceutical Co.Ltd(600267) which had established a joint venture with Pfizer was also considered to be able to reach cooperation with Pfizer on covid-19 oral medicine. Although Pfizer has withdrawn from the joint venture, the two sides still have business cooperation. As soon as Pfizer covid-19 oral drug was approved, the two enterprises were naturally linked in the market. However, Zhejiang Hisun Pharmaceutical Co.Ltd(600267) has refuted the rumor when replying to investors’ questions on February 10, making it clear that the company and Pfizer have not yet cooperated in covid-19 treatment drugs.
