Biotech stocks jumped in Hong Kong market. CANSINOBIO surged 17%; Innovent Bio up 11%; Akeso up over 8%; Everest Med up 7%.
On the news front, CANSINOBIO announced on August 25 that its subsidiary CanSino Shanghai signed a strategic cooperation framework agreement with Depushi Bio for the co-development and commercialization of mRNA personalized therapeutic tumor vaccines. The partnership targets digestive tract solid tumors and rare tumor treatments on a global scale.
This collaboration follows a period of heightened market attention on mRNA oncology platforms after Moderna's INTerpath-001 Phase III trial achieved positive results for its personalized mRNA cancer vaccine. CANSINOBIO had surged approximately 48.59% on August 20 on that catalyst before pulling back over subsequent sessions. Institutional research from CLSA noted that CANSINOBIO's development route and antigen design are broadly similar to Moderna's, with a differentiated three-component lipid nanoparticle delivery system that may support stronger cellular immune responses. The new Depushi Bio partnership represents a concrete step in advancing the company's mRNA tumor vaccine pipeline from platform-level potential toward clinical development.
INNOVENT BIO rose 11%. The rally was driven by the company's strong interim results released on August 25 and a notable institutional stake increase.
According to the mid-year earnings report, INNOVENT BIO posted total revenue of RMB 8.62 billion for H1, up 44.8% year-over-year, with product revenue reaching RMB 8.2 billion, surging 56.7%. IFRS net profit came in at RMB 1.25 billion, representing a 50.2% increase, already surpassing full-year profit levels. Gross margin stood at 85.0%. The company now has 20 marketed products, 13 of which are included in China's National Reimbursement Drug List. Management set a 2030 revenue target of RMB 35-40 billion.
Separately, JP Morgan increased its holdings by approximately 2.36 million shares on August 20 at an average price of HKD 102.24 per share, raising its stake to 5.06%. Multiple investment banks, including Morgan Stanley, Goldman Sachs, and Citi, have maintained buy ratings with target prices ranging from HKD 111.68 to HKD 138.5.