(Yicai Global) April 15 -- Shares of Wantai Biological Pharmacy Enterprise and Walvax Biotechnology, two Chinese makers of human papillomavirus vaccines, rose today after sinking yesterday in the wake of the World Health Organization saying a single dose is enough to protect against cervical cancer. Two and three doses have been recommended until now.

Wantai [SHA: 603392], which made China’s first HPV jab, gained 4.5 percent to close at CNY269.10 (USD42.24), after slumping 9.5 percent yesterday, while Walvax [SHE: 300142], recently approved to market its HPV shot, climbed 12.5 percent to CNY55.26. It fell 3.1 percent yesterday.

A review by the WHO’s Strategic Advisory Group of Experts on Immunization has concluded that a single-dose HPV vaccine delivers solid protection against the virus that causes cervical cancer, and is comparable to two or three-dose regimens, the United Nations’ international public health body said in a recent post on its website.

SAGE recommends a one- or two-dose schedule for the primary target of girls aged nine to 14 years old and women aged 15 to 20. For women older than 21 years, the advisory group suggests two doses within a six-month interval.

Wantai will continue to sell its three-dose HPV vaccines as previously approved by China, the Beijing-based firm said yesterday, adding that there is a possibility that the WHO and the Chinese government will promote the one- or two-dose regimen.

Wantai’s Cervarix landed in the market in May 2020, becoming the world’s fourth HPV shot. All current HPV vaccines are three-dose jabs. Last year, the firm tripled its net profit to CNY2 billion (USD313.6 million) on a 144 percent surge in revenue to CNY5.8 billion, mainly thanks to a 361 percent leap in income from vaccines.

China’s National Medical Products Administration approved Cervarix for marketing last month, but it has not yet gone on sale.

Shares of Zhifei Biological Products [SHE: 300122], an agent for Merck’s HPV vaccine, ended little changed today at CNY115.98 after plunging 14.2 percent yesterday.

Editor: Futura Costaglione