HK/China Healthcare Analyst (ex-Fosun Pharma)

Xinyao (Criss) Wang

Event-Driven

<ul>
<li>Leading Chinese biotech firms are among the few sub-sectors sustaining rapid growth. However, RemeGen stands as a negative example, with its business model and investment rationale proving flawed.</li>
<li>“Increasing revenue without increasing profits” is actually a “denial” of a company's business model. Even though the losses decreased in 24H1, this doesn’t change our negative expectations for Zai Lab.</li>
<li>Genor Biopharma and Edding Group are merging through a reverse takeover, benefiting both companies by boosting Genor's valuation and allowing Edding to achieve its goal of going public.</li>
</ul>


Leading Chinese biotech firms are among the few sub-sectors sustaining rapid growth. However, RemeGen stands as a negative example, with its business model and investment rationale proving flawed.
“Increasing revenue without increasing profits” is actually a “denial” of a company's business model. Even though the losses decreased in 24H1, this doesn’t change our negative expectations for Zai Lab.
Genor Biopharma and Edding Group are merging through a reverse takeover, benefiting both companies by boosting Genor's valuation and allowing Edding to achieve its goal of going public.


China Healthcare Weekly (Oct.13)-Genor to Acquire Edding, RemeGen's Bleak Outlook, Zai Lab's Trouble

Global Healthcare Analyst

Tina Banerjee

Equity Bottom-Up

<ul>
<li>
<a href="https://www.smartkarma.com/entities/zai-lab-ltd-94df40cf-c15e-462f-b3de-8d2d434ae935" target="_blank" data-smartkarma-citation="entities:36261:1" rel="noopener">Zai Lab (9688 HK)</a> recorded Vyvgart revenue of $10M, $13M, and $23M in 4Q23, 1Q24, and 2Q24, respectively. The company raised 2024 Vyvgart revenue guidance to $80M from $70M earlier.</li>
<li>Despite strong momentum from Vyvgart, Zai Lab still has a lot of pain points. Decelerating revenue growth from Zejula is one of them.</li>
<li>Due to its in-licensing business model, Zai Lab has lower gross profit margin of 64–65%, compared with ~80% for a typical innovator biotech company.</li>
</ul>



Zai Lab (9688 HK) recorded Vyvgart revenue of $10M, $13M, and $23M in 4Q23, 1Q24, and 2Q24, respectively. The company raised 2024 Vyvgart revenue guidance to $80M from $70M earlier.
Despite strong momentum from Vyvgart, Zai Lab still has a lot of pain points. Decelerating revenue growth from Zejula is one of them.
Due to its in-licensing business model, Zai Lab has lower gross profit margin of 64–65%, compared with ~80% for a typical innovator biotech company.


Zai Lab (9688 HK): Vyvgart Is Not the De-Risking Tool; Future Is Still Uncertain

<ul>
<li>Innovent’s 24Q1 product sales was up just 6% QoQ. The overall data shows that PD-1 growth has entered a bottleneck. This makes 24H2 YoY growth rate uncertain.</li>
<li>The deal between Hengrui and Hercules is different from traditional license-out cooperation, but belong to asset spin-off in essence, which is a “smart deal” and also a meaningful attempt.</li>
<li>There’re some positive signals in Zai Lab’s 24Q1 performance, but the pain points of business model severely limit its profitability/revenue scale. Zai Lab still has a long way to go.</li>
</ul>


Innovent’s 24Q1 product sales was up just 6% QoQ. The overall data shows that PD-1 growth has entered a bottleneck. This makes 24H2 YoY growth rate uncertain.
The deal between Hengrui and Hercules is different from traditional license-out cooperation, but belong to asset spin-off in essence, which is a “smart deal” and also a meaningful attempt.
There’re some positive signals in Zai Lab’s 24Q1 performance, but the pain points of business model severely limit its profitability/revenue scale. Zai Lab still has a long way to go.


China Healthcare Weekly (Jun.2) - Innovent's Trouble, Hengrui's “smart Deal”, Zai Lab’s Pain Point

Blue Lotus China New Economy Research, Blue Lotus Research Institute

Eric Wen

Blue Lotus China New Economy Research

China growth and global non-US Internet equities

Blue Lotus Research Institute

Blue Lotus Research is a Hong Kong Type 4 Licensed investment advisory firm focusing on Chinese growth equities and global non-US Internet equities

<ul>
<li>C1Q24 was marked by liquidity crises in innovative drug and medical device, and depressed margin in digital health. We believe this is a buying opportunity;</li>
<li>PD-1 has recovered nicely in C2H23 and exceeded our expectation made for 2023.We forecast 20% YoY growth in 2024.Further,pipeline maturity has led to new drugs in autoimmune and metabolic drugs;</li>
<li>Biosimilar has proven to be part of the solution to deal with low paying ability of Chinese healthcare and denial of access to the high paying US healthcare market. </li>
</ul>


C1Q24 was marked by liquidity crises in innovative drug and medical device, and depressed margin in digital health. We believe this is a buying opportunity;
PD-1 has recovered nicely in C2H23 and exceeded our expectation made for 2023.We forecast 20% YoY growth in 2024.Further,pipeline maturity has led to new drugs in autoimmune and metabolic drugs;
Biosimilar has proven to be part of the solution to deal with low paying ability of Chinese healthcare and denial of access to the high paying US healthcare market. 


[Blue Lotus Healthcare Sector Update]: Bottom-Fishing at the Bottom of the Business Cycle

<ul>
<li>CMS's way of in-licensing products has shifted from CSO model to asset-purchase model so as to enhance control on the assets. But the transformation hasn’t been recognized by the market.     </li>
<li>Despite outstanding fundamentals, <a href="https://www.smartkarma.com/entities/china-medical-system-holdings" target="_blank" data-smartkarma-citation="entities:18736:1" rel="noopener">CMS</a>’s valuation remains low. Doubts about the Company's real R&amp;D capabilities/core competitiveness and the negative image due to past financial fraud could be the reasons.</li>
<li>CMS would encounter performance headwinds in 2023/2024 due to VBP, but revenue/profit growth is expected to pick up in 2025. It’s still a good defensive choice in a bear market.</li>
</ul>


CMS's way of in-licensing products has shifted from CSO model to asset-purchase model so as to enhance control on the assets. But the transformation hasn’t been recognized by the market.     
Despite outstanding fundamentals, CMS’s valuation remains low. Doubts about the Company's real R&amp;D capabilities/core competitiveness and the negative image due to past financial fraud could be the reasons.
CMS would encounter performance headwinds in 2023/2024 due to VBP, but revenue/profit growth is expected to pick up in 2025. It’s still a good defensive choice in a bear market.


China Medical System (867 HK) - A Wise Choice in a Bear Market

China

Zai Lab Limited operates as a bio-pharmaceutical company. The Company researches and develops therapeutic technology for antibody-based oncology, autoimmune, and infectious diseases treatments. Zai Lab also manufactures drugs in the form of capsules, injections, and liquids. Zai Lab serves patients worldwide.

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Zai Lab Ltd (ZLAB US)

China Healthcare Weekly (Oct.13)-Genor to Acquire Edding, RemeGen's Bleak Outlook, Zai Lab's Trouble

Genor/Edding are merging through a reverse takeover, but valuation is unsatisfactory. Remegen is negative example among China Biotech.Weak...

Xinyao (Criss) Wang

Zai Lab (9688 HK): Vyvgart Is Not the De-Risking Tool; Future Is Still Uncertain

Zai Lab's Vyvgart revenue sees significant growth, but challenges remain with decelerating Zejula revenue and lower gross profit margins due to in...

Tina Banerjee

China Healthcare Weekly (Jun.2) - Innovent's Trouble, Hengrui's “smart Deal”, Zai Lab’s Pain Point

Innovent's PD-1 growth face bottleneck, with uncertainty in 24H2 growth; Hengrui-Hercules deal a "smart" asset spin-off; Zai Lab has positive...

Xinyao (Criss) Wang

[Blue Lotus Healthcare Sector Update]: Bottom-Fishing at the Bottom of the Business Cycle

Liquidity crises in healthcare innovation present buying opportunity;PD-1 exceeds expectations with 20%YoY growth forecast for 2024;Biosimilars...

Blue Lotus Research Institute

China Medical System (867 HK) - A Wise Choice in a Bear Market

CMS's performance low point is 2023/2024, but high growth returns in 2025. Despite bad image due to past financial fraud, high dividend/strong...

Xinyao (Criss) Wang

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52-week Range

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China Healthcare Weekly (Oct.13)-Genor to Acquire Edding, RemeGen's Bleak Outlook, Zai Lab's Trouble

Genor/Edding are merging through a reverse takeover, but valuation is unsatisfactory. Remegen is negative example among China Biotech.Weak...

Xinyao (Criss) Wang

Zai Lab (9688 HK): Vyvgart Is Not the De-Risking Tool; Future Is Still Uncertain

​Zai Lab's Vyvgart revenue sees significant growth, but challenges remain with decelerating Zejula revenue and lower gross profit margins due to in...

Tina Banerjee

China Healthcare Weekly (Jun.2) - Innovent's Trouble, Hengrui's “smart Deal”, Zai Lab’s Pain Point

​Innovent's PD-1 growth face bottleneck, with uncertainty in 24H2 growth; Hengrui-Hercules deal a "smart" asset spin-off; Zai Lab has positive...

Xinyao (Criss) Wang

[Blue Lotus Healthcare Sector Update]: Bottom-Fishing at the Bottom of the Business Cycle

​Liquidity crises in healthcare innovation present buying opportunity;PD-1 exceeds expectations with 20%YoY growth forecast for 2024;Biosimilars...

Blue Lotus Research Institute

China Medical System (867 HK) - A Wise Choice in a Bear Market

CMS's performance low point is 2023/2024, but high growth returns in 2025. Despite bad image due to past financial fraud, high dividend/strong...

Xinyao (Criss) Wang

Zai Lab's Vyvgart revenue sees significant growth, but challenges remain with decelerating Zejula revenue and lower gross profit margins due to in...

Innovent's PD-1 growth face bottleneck, with uncertainty in 24H2 growth; Hengrui-Hercules deal a "smart" asset spin-off; Zai Lab has positive...

Liquidity crises in healthcare innovation present buying opportunity;PD-1 exceeds expectations with 20%YoY growth forecast for 2024;Biosimilars...