In a significant development, Inibio’s botulinum toxin product, Inibo, has received approval from China’s National Medical Products Administration (NMPA). The company aims to launch local commercialization in the first quarter of 2027 and expand into overseas markets, including Brazil.
Inibio announced on Tuesday that its self-developed type A botulinum toxin product, Inibo, has obtained approval from China’s NMPA. This marks the ninth botulinum toxin product approved in China and the third developed by a South Korean company, following Hugel and Huons Bio Pharma.
After applying for a clinical trial plan (IND) in China in January 2023, Inibio completed local clinical trials and regulatory review, securing approval in approximately three years and nine months. This milestone allows the company to finalize regulatory procedures for entering the Chinese market and prepare for local sales.
In collaboration with local partners, Inibio plans to establish a product supply and distribution system, targeting commercialization in the first quarter of 2027. The company will focus on penetrating the market, particularly in medical aesthetic institutions, while also advancing the approval process in Brazil.
The Chinese botulinum toxin market shows significant growth potential. Market research firm Frost & Sullivan projects the market size to expand from approximately 12.6 billion CNY (about 1.9 billion USD) in 2025 to around 39 billion CNY (about 5.8 billion USD) by 2030. This growth is expected to be driven by increased consumer spending on medical aesthetics and the growing popularity of cosmetic procedures.
The approval is also likely to boost GC Wellbeing’s medical aesthetics business, which acquired Inibio. GC Wellbeing entered the botulinum toxin market through the Inibio acquisition in 2025 and has since expanded its product range to include fillers and extracellular matrix (ECM) based skin boosters. Inibio’s international expansion aims to strengthen the company’s comprehensive portfolio of toxins, fillers, and skin boosters.
An Inibio spokesperson stated that the approval in China represents a crucial milestone for entering the local market. It’s set to launch commercialization in the first quarter of 2027 and accelerate the expansion into major overseas markets, including Brazil.
Founded seven years ago, Inibio is a biopharmaceutical company specializing in the development and production of botulinum toxin products. The company developed Inibo using strains sourced from the Culture Collection of the University of Gothenburg (CCUG) in Sweden. After securing export approval for a 100-unit product in 2020, Inibio obtained domestic product approval in 2023.
In 2025, Inibio expanded into overseas markets, including Thailand and Peru. That same year, GC Wellbeing acquired a controlling stake, integrating Inibio into the group’s aesthetics business. Since then, the company has been actively pursuing regulatory approvals and expanding its global presence in key overseas markets, with China being a primary focus.
