Prices of Legacy GSK Antibiotic Surge 50-Fold in China After Rumored Supply Halt

The price of Zinnat, an old antibiotic originally developed by GSK, has skyrocketed to around 1,500 yuan ($218) a box on e-commerce platforms. Previously, the market price for the drug was only about 30 yuan a box.

Rumors of Zinnat exiting the Chinese market first surfaced in mid-2025. A notice regarding the suspension of Zinnat tablets in China circulated online, indicating to distributors, “In accordance with the decision of GSK’s global product portfolio optimization, supply to the Chinese market will cease from July 2024.” The document was stamped by GSK Enterprise Management Co. Ltd. and dated July 30, 2024.