Fosun Kite Biotechnology

Fosun Kite Biotechnology is a biopharmaceutical company focused on the development and commercialization of immune cell therapies for cancer treatment in China. The company was established in April 2017 as a 50/50 joint venture between Shanghai Fosun Pharmaceutical (Group) Co., Ltd., a leading Chinese healthcare group, and Kite Pharma, a US-based Gilead Sciences company and a pioneer in cell therapy. In September 2024, Fosun Pharma acquired Kite's 50% stake, making Fosun Kite a wholly-owned subsidiary, set to be renamed Fosun Kairui. Despite the buyout, the two will maintain a long-term strategic partnership through licensing agreements.

The company's primary business involves localizing, manufacturing, and commercializing advanced cell therapies. Its business model centers on licensing cutting-edge products, conducting local clinical trials for regulatory approval, and then manufacturing and selling these therapies in the Greater China region. A major milestone was achieved in June 2021 when its lead product, Axicabtagene Ciloleucel (brand name: Yikaida®), became the first CAR-T cell therapy approved by China's National Medical Products Administration (NMPA). This personalized therapy genetically modifies a patient's own T-cells to recognize and attack cancer cells. It is approved for adult patients with relapsed or refractory large B-cell lymphoma (LBCL) after two or more lines of systemic therapy. The company is also developing FKC889 for relapsed or refractory mantle cell lymphoma (MCL) and is exploring therapies for solid tumors.

Headquartered in Shanghai, Fosun Kite operates a commercial manufacturing facility and an R&D center in the Zhangjiang Hi-Tech Park. The company serves cancer patients who have exhausted conventional treatment options. Given the high cost of CAR-T therapy, which is priced at around 1.2 million yuan (about $170,000) in China, the company is actively exploring innovative payment models and partnerships with commercial and government-supplemented insurance programs to improve patient access. In 2023, Fosun Kite generated revenues of 242 million Chinese yuan ($34 million).

Keywords: cell therapy, gene therapy, CAR-T, oncology, biopharmaceutical, cancer treatment, immunotherapy, large B-cell lymphoma, non-Hodgkin lymphoma, Axicabtagene Ciloleucel, Yikaida, Kite Pharma, Fosun Pharma, China healthcare, clinical trials, hematological malignancies, autologous T-cell therapy, drug discovery, life sciences, personalized medicine