Sinopharm Group

Sinopharm Group Co., Ltd.

Company type	Joint venture
Industry	Pharmaceutical
Founded	2003 (2003)
Headquarters	Shanghai , China
Owner	China National Pharmaceutical Group (51%), Fosun Pharmaceutical (49%)
Parent	Sinopharm Industrial Investment

Sinopharm Group Co., Ltd. is a pharmaceutical enterprise from China, whose ownership is structured as a 51–49 joint venture between the state-controlled China National Pharmaceutical Group and the privately operated Fosun Pharmaceutical, under the parent company Sinopharm Industrial Investment.

The company’s H shares have been publicly traded on the Hong Kong Stock Exchange since 2009, initially offered at HK$16 per share during its IPO. While its subsidiaries, Sinopharm CNMC and Sinopharm Accord, hold the company's A shares in mainland China, Sinopharm Group itself has not listed its own A shares.

In 2016, Sinopharm Group was positioned 829th on the Forbes Global 2000 ranking, underscoring its influential role within China's pharmaceutical sector.

COVID-19 Vaccine development

The Sinopharm BIBP COVID-19 vaccine, also referred to as BBIBP-CorV or simply the BIBP vaccine, represents one of two inactivated virus COVID-19 vaccine candidates developed by Sinopharm. This vaccine underwent Phase III clinical trials involving over 60,000 subjects across multiple countries including Argentina, Bahrain, Egypt, Morocco, Pakistan, Peru, and the United Arab Emirates (UAE). The technology behind BIBP mirrors that of other inactivated vaccines such as CoronaVac and Covaxin.

Published peer-reviewed Phase III data in JAMA indicated that the BIBP vaccine demonstrated 78.1% efficacy against symptomatic COVID-19 infections and achieved 100% protection against severe disease manifestations. Earlier interim results from trials conducted in the UAE reported an efficacy rate of 86%. Although mRNA vaccines generally show higher efficacy exceeding 90%, their requirement for ultra-cold storage limits logistical feasibility. Conversely, BIBP-CorV’s ability to be stored at conventional refrigerated temperatures enables easier distribution on a global scale.

This vaccine has been incorporated into immunization programs throughout Asia, Africa, South America, and Europe. Nations administering the BIBP vaccine include China, UAE, Pakistan, Egypt, Morocco, Zimbabwe, Argentina, Peru, Bolivia, Serbia, Hungary, and Belarus. Sinopharm targeted a production volume of one billion doses for this vaccine during 2021. On May 7, 2021, the World Health Organization granted approval for its use within the international COVAX framework.

See also

• Pharmaceutical industry in China