Cervical cancer remains a major global public health challenge and a stark reflection of health inequity. In 2022, approximately 660,000 new cases and 350,000 deaths occurred worldwide, with nearly 94% of deaths in low- and middle-income countries. Women in low-income countries face more than three times the risk of developing cervical cancer and nearly nine times the risk of dying from the disease compared with women in high-income countries¹. Expanding access to quality-assured, affordable HPV vaccines where the need is greatest is essential to advancing global cervical cancer elimination.
From China-Developed Innovation to Global Access
China-developed HPV vaccines are playing an increasingly important role in addressing this need. Cecolin, the bivalent HPV vaccine jointly developed by Xiamen Innovax Biotech Co., Ltd. (“IX”) and Xiamen University, received World Health Organization (WHO) prequalification in 2021. As of December 2025, it had obtained regulatory approvals in more than 24 countries and been included in over 10 national immunization programs, with more than 80 million doses supplied globally. Across Asia, Africa, Europe and Latin America, IX continues to translate vaccine innovation into meaningful public health impact.
Building Confidence Through Evidence and Experience
Scientific evidence and sustained experience are fundamental to vaccine confidence. Approved in China in 2019, Cecolin is supported by 10-year clinical follow-up data demonstrating durable protection and immune persistence. Continued post-marketing safety surveillance and real-world studies provide further evidence supporting its long-term use².
In 2025, China incorporated HPV vaccination into its National Immunization Program, offering free vaccination to eligible 13-year-old girls. Cecolin, IX’s independently developed bivalent HPV vaccine, is now supplied through the national program, supporting primary cervical cancer prevention in China. Prior to its inclusion in China’s program, Cecolin had already been included in national immunization programs in more than 10 countries outside China. Its safety and protective efficacy are supported by clinical studies, long-term follow-up and post-marketing research. From overseas national immunization programs to China’s national program, the accumulated scientific evidence and experience of use have helped build growing confidence in China-developed HPV vaccines.
Expanding Access Through Global Public Health Programs
The value of vaccine innovation extends beyond scientific breakthroughs to addressing global public health needs. Leveraging proprietary technology and scalable manufacturing capabilities, IX continues to engage in international public health collaboration and vaccine supply, helping expand access to quality-assured, affordable HPV vaccines in resource-constrained settings.
Belarus offers another example of China-developed HPV vaccine innovation being applied in European public health practice. XinhuaNet recently highlighted the country’s national HPV immunization program⁴. Based on 2020 estimates, Belarus recorded approximately 835 new cervical cancer cases and 358 deaths annually³. Since 2025, the country has offered free HPV vaccination to 11-year-old girls, with Cecolin used in the program to support primary cervical cancer prevention⁴.
Across diverse immunization settings, IX continues to work with partners to strengthen vaccine access and reliable supply, supporting country-specific HPV prevention needs.
From Vaccine Confidence to Technology Partnerships
Building on the global use of its bivalent HPV vaccine, Cecolin, IX continues to advance HPV vaccine innovation with Cecolin 9, its 9-valent HPV vaccine. Following regulatory approval in China in 2025, Cecolin 9 was subsequently approved in Thailand in 2026. In a head-to-head clinical study against another licensed 9-valent HPV vaccine, Cecolin 9 demonstrated non-inferior immunogenicity and a comparable safety profile, with numerically higher type-specific immune responses to HPV types 52 and 58. These types are particularly relevant to HPV epidemiology in East Asia and other Asian countries, adding to the clinical evidence supporting the vaccine’s relevance to regional prevention needs⁵.
Beyond finished-product supply, IX is advancing technology transfer and local manufacturing partnerships for Cecolin 9 in markets including Thailand and Indonesia. This evolution reflects growing confidence not only in China-developed vaccines, but also in the technology, quality systems and manufacturing capabilities behind them, extending partnerships from vaccine supply to local capacity building.
Partnering to Advance Cervical Cancer Elimination
For IX, bringing China-developed HPV vaccines to the world is about more than expanding their use across countries. It reflects a broader commitment to applying innovation to global public health needs.
Cervical cancer elimination is a shared global health goal. Despite differences in disease burden and healthcare resources, no country should have to face this challenge alone. IX will continue to work alongside global partners to improve equitable access to vaccine innovation and support sustainable approaches to cervical cancer prevention.
From China to the world, IX works alongside global partners to help make the benefits of innovation accessible to more people.
References
[1] Global Cervical Cancer Burden and Health Inequities
International Agency for Research on Cancer. IARC Marks Cervical Cancer Awareness Month 2026. January 6, 2026; World Health Organization. Cervical Cancer Elimination Initiative.
https://www.iarc.who.int/news-events/iarc-marks-cervical-cancer-awareness-month-2026/
https://www.who.int/initiatives/cervical-cancer-elimination-initiative
[2] Ten-Year Clinical Follow-Up of Cecolin
Long-term efficacy and immunopersistence of an Escherichia coli-produced HPV-16/18 bivalent vaccine: an observational extension study following a randomised, double-blind Phase III clinical trial cohort. The Lancet Regional Health – Western Pacific. 2025;61:101668.
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.lanwpc.2025.101668
[3]Cervical Cancer Burden in Belarus
ICO/IARC HPV Information Centre. Belarus: Human Papillomavirus and Related Diseases. 2023 edition. Cervical cancer burden estimates based on 2020 data.
https://hpvcentre.net/statistics/reports/BLR.pdf
[4]XinhuaNet Report on HPV Vaccination in Belarus
XinhuaNet. Report on Belarus’ National HPV Immunization Program. .https://weixin.qq.com/sph/AvB5JkJMdQ
[5] Head-to-Head Clinical Study of Cecolin 9
Zhu FC, et al. Head-to-head immunogenicity comparison of an Escherichia coli-produced 9-valent human papillomavirus vaccine and Gardasil 9 in women aged 18–26 years in China: a randomised blinded clinical trial. The Lancet Infectious Diseases. 2023;23:1313–1322.
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