Pharmaceutical Sector Re-Enters a Major Cycle: In-Depth Analysis of Investment Logic for Core Leaders Across the Full Industry Chain

Deep News07-02 21:11

Following multiple rounds of valuation digestion and industry consolidation, the A-share pharmaceutical sector stands at the starting point of a new cycle. With marginal policy warming, continuous commercialization of innovative drugs, accelerated M&A integration among state-owned enterprises, and a recovery in global R&D outsourcing demand, multiple catalysts are converging to create a window for value reassessment for core leaders across the entire industry chain. From upstream R&D and production to downstream end-user applications, companies possessing technological barriers, channel advantages, and global capabilities will form the central theme of this pharmaceutical market upswing.

Innovative Drugs: Transitioning from Pipeline Potential to Performance Realization

Innovative drugs are the crown jewel of the pharmaceutical industry. After years of R&D investment, leading domestic pharmaceutical companies are gradually transitioning from a "burning cash for pipelines" phase to a new stage of "product ramp-up and profit realization." Companies that have achieved breakthroughs in overseas markets have particularly unlocked the growth ceiling of the global market.

Jiangsu Hengrui Pharmaceuticals Co., Ltd. is a benchmark for domestic pharmaceutical innovation and transformation, representing the most balanced domestic leader in terms of R&D and commercialization capabilities. Its generic drug foundation has stabilized post-centralized procurement, while the revenue contribution from innovative drugs continues to rise. Its pipeline deeply covers major therapeutic areas such as oncology, autoimmune diseases, and anesthesia. Coupled with a top-tier national sales and promotion network, new products can achieve rapid ramp-up post-approval, making it a highly certain anchor investment in the domestic innovative drug field.

BeiGene, Ltd. is the absolute benchmark for Chinese innovative drug globalization and the first company to successfully execute the "China R&D, global sales" model. In 2025, the company achieved its first full-year GAAP profit. Global sales of its core product, zanubrutinib, approached 28 billion yuan, capturing nearly 50% of the BTK inhibitor market share among new CLL patients in the US. The company has built a commercial system covering over 75 global markets, with 17 new molecular entities in clinical stages. Its pipeline depth and globalization capabilities are unique domestically, fully opening its growth potential.

RemeGen Co., Ltd. is a leading company in the domestic ADC (antibody-drug conjugate) field. Its core product, disitamab vedotin, has been successfully approved and licensed overseas, validating the global competitiveness of its ADC technology platform. The company has a robust follow-on pipeline. With further indication expansion and new product advancement, it will continue to benefit from the high growth momentum of the ADC sector, representing a flexible investment target with differentiated technological advantages in the biotech innovation space.

CXO: The Essential "Water-Sellers" in the Global Innovation Chain

As the "water-sellers" for the innovative drug industry chain, the CXO (Contract Research, Development and Manufacturing Organization) sector benefits from the long-term trend of global pharmaceutical R&D outsourcing. Domestic companies, leveraging the engineer dividend and cost advantages, continue to capture global market share. With the recovery in overseas biopharma financing, industry orders are gradually improving, leading to a clear inflection point for leading companies' performance.

WuXi AppTec Co., Ltd. is a full-industry-chain leader in the global CXO industry, offering end-to-end services from early-stage drug discovery to commercial production. Its client portfolio includes top global pharmaceutical companies, and its technology platforms and capacity layout are among the world's first-tier. Relying on the domestic engineer dividend, the company continues to solidify its cost advantages. As global innovative R&D demand recovers, order and earnings growth rates are expected to gradually rebound, making it the most certain core asset in the CXO space.

Asymchem Laboratories (Tianjin) Co., Ltd. is a technology leader in the small-molecule CDMO (Contract Development and Manufacturing Organization) field, possessing deep expertise in complex synthesis processes and maintaining long-term, stable partnerships with global pharmaceutical leaders. The company has also proactively expanded into emerging areas like peptides and biologics, deeply involved in CDMO projects for multiple blockbuster GLP-1 drugs. As capacity gradually ramps up, the 2026-2027 period will see accelerated earnings release. Its current valuation is at a historical low, with strong earnings growth certainty and ample room for valuation repair.

Tigermed Consulting Co., Ltd. is the absolute leader in domestic clinical CRO (Contract Research Organization), deeply tied to the domestic innovative drug R&D wave and leading in clinical research service capabilities. Domestic clinical demand for innovative drugs continues to grow steadily, while the company is gradually expanding its overseas clinical business. It represents one of the segments with the highest demand certainty within the innovative drug R&D chain and will continue to benefit from the expansion of the domestic innovative drug industry.

Biologics: Steady-Growth Leaders in High-Barrier, Essential Sectors

The biologics sector combines resource barriers and essential demand attributes. Supply is constrained while demand grows steadily, with a clear industry structure. Leading companies exhibit strong profit stability, making this a steady allocation direction within the pharmaceutical sector.

Beijing Tiantan Biological Products Co., Ltd. is the leading company in China's blood products industry, ranking first in both plasma collection volume and product variety. The blood products industry is highly resource-dependent, with strict plasma station approvals limiting supply growth, while clinical demand grows steadily, supporting a favorable long-term supply-demand dynamic. Leveraging its state-owned background, the company has stronger resource integration capabilities. Its plasma collection volume continues to increase, supporting robust and certain earnings growth.

Chongqing Zhifei Biological Products Co., Ltd. is the commercialization leader in China's vaccine sector, adhering to a dual-drive model of "distribution + in-house R&D." Its distributed HPV vaccine provides stable cash flow and profits, while its in-house pipeline is gradually entering a harvest period. Combined with its top-tier sales and promotion capabilities, new products can achieve rapid market penetration post-launch. Its channel and commercialization advantages in the vaccine field are difficult to replicate, making it a core allocation target for the vaccine sector.

Changchun High & New Technology Industry (Group) Inc. is the absolute leader in China's human growth hormone sector, with high product technological barriers and a solid market position. The company continues to advance penetration in grassroots markets and expand indications, leaving ample room for growth in its growth hormone business. It is also diversifying its product portfolio with vaccines for chickenpox, rabies, and others, enhancing both profit quality and growth potential.

State-Owned Pharmaceutical Platforms: Value Reshaping Under the M&A and Integration Wave

The pharmaceutical industry is currently experiencing a new cycle of M&A and integration. State-owned enterprises and central SOEs, leveraging capital and resource advantages, are becoming the main force of consolidation. Through horizontal expansion and vertical industry chain synergies, the value of their listed platforms is undergoing systematic reshaping.

China Meheco Co., Ltd. is the core listed pharmaceutical platform under China General Technology Group, with businesses covering the entire chain from pharmaceutical distribution and manufacturing to international trade, boasting over 700 product specifications. Supported by the resources and capital of its major shareholder, the company continues to advance industry consolidation and business expansion. Economies of scale and synergistic effects are gradually materializing, positioning it as a core vehicle for state-owned pharmaceutical distribution and industrial integration.

China Resources Double-Crane Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd. is the core prescription drug platform under China Resources Group, featuring a nationwide terminal marketing network and a solid foundation in generic drugs. The company is also proactively investing in the synthetic biology sector, establishing seven technology platforms and achieving scale-up breakthroughs for multiple core products. Its growth path is clear: stabilizing the traditional business base while expanding into new business areas.

Shandong Pharmaceutical Glass Co., Ltd. is the leading company in China's pharmaceutical glass industry. Following its strategic acquisition by China National Pharmaceutical Group Co., Ltd. (Sinopharm), it is deeply integrated with the resources of the Sinopharm system. Its high-end products, such as neutral borosilicate glass, are accelerating in volume. Leveraging Sinopharm's channel synergies, its market share is expected to continue rising, making it a core beneficiary of state-owned enterprise integration in the upstream pharmaceutical consumables field.

Overall, after a prolonged period of valuation adjustment, the pharmaceutical sector's valuation and fundamentals are currently at a bottom range. As industry upgrading, overseas breakthroughs, and state-owned enterprise integration continue to progress, core leaders across various sub-sectors will persistently benefit from increasing industry concentration, offering high cost-effectiveness for medium- to long-term allocation.

Disclaimer: Investing carries risk. This is not financial advice. The above content should not be regarded as an offer, recommendation, or solicitation on acquiring or disposing of any financial products, any associated discussions, comments, or posts by author or other users should not be considered as such either. It is solely for general information purpose only, which does not consider your own investment objectives, financial situations or needs. TTM assumes no responsibility or warranty for the accuracy and completeness of the information, investors should do their own research and may seek professional advice before investing.

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