Huons partners with Sanofi Korea to enter vaccine market
Huons CEO Song Soo-young, left, and Park Hee-kyung, head of vaccines at Sanofi Korea, pose at Huons Group headquarters in Seoul, Wednesday. Courtesy of Huons
Huons, a subsidiary of Huons Group, said Wednesday it has signed a distribution and co-promotion agreement with Sanofi Korea to enter the domestic vaccine market.
Under the deal, effective April 1, Huons will take charge of nationwide distribution and joint marketing of five vaccines developed by Sanofi.
The portfolio includes influenza vaccines Vaxigrip, a standard-dose vaccine for the general population, and Efluelda, a high-dose vaccine designed to provide stronger immune protection for older adults, as well as adult vaccines such as the Tdap vaccine Adacel, hepatitis A vaccine Avaxim and meningococcal vaccine MenQuadfi.
The partnership marks a strategic move by Huons to expand into the vaccine segment, leveraging Sanofi’s global product lineup alongside its own expertise in injectable drug sales and cold chain logistics.
To support the new business, Huons has recently established a dedicated vaccine unit aimed at strengthening its sales capabilities and expanding access to vaccines among health care providers and patients in Korea.
The company said it will focus on ensuring stable nationwide supply of temperature-sensitive vaccines by utilizing its logistics infrastructure, built through distribution of refrigerated injectable products such as Merit C Injection and Hudaxin Injection.
“Partnering with Sanofi, a globally trusted vaccine leader, represents a major turning point in our growth as a public health partner,” said Song Soo-young, CEO of Huons Global. “We aim to set a new standard in the domestic market by combining Sanofi’s innovation with our localized sales expertise.”
Huons added that it plans to further expand its vaccine pipeline as a key growth driver through continued strategic partnerships with global biopharma companies.