Giant Biogene Profit Drops 7.15% After Collagen Controversy

Public Controversy Halts Growth, Slashes 2025 Profit by 7.15%

A public dispute over product ingredients and increased competition caused Giant Biogene's growth to reverse in 2025, delivering its first annual earnings decline. For the full year, the company reported revenue of 5.518 billion yuan, a slight decrease of 0.37% year-over-year. Net profit saw a more substantial fall, declining 7.15% to 1.914 billion yuan. This performance break follows a mid-2025 controversy where the company faced a public relations crisis regarding the collagen content in its core product line, sparking a wider debate on industry standards for recombinant collagen versus hyaluronic acid.

The controversy created a whirlpool of negative public opinion around allegations of inaccurate labeling for its flagship brand, Kefumei. While the company stated the issue stemmed from differing detection standards, the incident weakened consumer trust and inflicted tangible damage on its financial results, compounding pressure from intensifying market competition.

Flagship Brand Kefumei Sales Fall 1.6% to 4.47B Yuan

The financial impact was most visible in the performance of Giant Biogene's core brands, which showed a clear divergence in 2025. Kefumei, the company's primary revenue engine contributing over 80% of sales, recorded a 1.6% sales decrease to 4.47 billion yuan. The earnings report directly attributes this weakness to external shocks and price competition, a clear reference to the fallout from the labeling controversy.

In contrast, the company's other major skincare brand, KeliJin, maintained its growth trajectory, with sales rising 9.2% to 918 million yuan. This resilience was driven by aggressive online channel expansion and the successful launch of an upgraded hero product, the "Big Mask King 3.0." The split performance highlights the concentrated damage the public dispute inflicted on the company's main brand.

Giant Biogene Targets 2026 Rebound With Medical Aesthetics Push

After a challenging 2025, Giant Biogene has explicitly set a goal to "return to growth" in 2026. The company's strategy hinges on a significant push into the professional medical aesthetics market, a move designed to open a new and potentially more lucrative revenue channel. This pivot is supported by key regulatory wins.

In 2025, Giant Biogene secured approval from China's National Medical Products Administration for several injectable products, including a recombinant Type I a1 collagen freeze-dried fiber and a composite solution of collagen and sodium hyaluronate. Armed with these Class III medical device approvals, the company is poised to compete directly in the clinical aesthetics space. Investors are now watching to see if this strategic shift can successfully restore the high-growth momentum that defined the company's past.