SK bioscience to produce MSD's Ebola vaccine candidate

The Korea Times

The Korea Times

National

Tue, October 3, 2023 | 06:03

SK bioscience to produce MSD's Ebola vaccine candidate

Posted : 2023-05-08 16:53

Updated : 2023-05-09 15:39

Chey Chang-won, right, vice chairman of SK discovery, parent company of SK bioscience, poses with MSD Executive Vice President Sanat Chattopadhyay, left, and Vice Minister of Health and Welfare Park Min-soo in Seoul after signing a manufacturing agreement in this photo provided by SK bioscience, Monday. Courtesy of SK bioscience

By Baek Byung-yeul

SK bioscience, a local vaccine developer and manufacturer, signed a contract manufacturing organization (CMO) agreement with global healthcare company MSD for the production of its next-generation Zaire Ebola vaccine, according to the company, Monday.

MSD has been working with Hilleman Laboratories, an international nonprofit research organization, to develop a next-generation Zaire Ebola vaccine candidate. They are improving process efficiency and thermal stability of ERVEBO, the currently approved and in-use Zaire Ebola vaccine.

If the candidate is successfully developed and approved by regulatory authorities, it will be produced by SK bioscience's L House vaccine plant in Andong, North Gyeongsang Province, and supplied to international organizations to be used in Ebola management, SK bioscience said.

Ebola virus disease, also known simply as EVD, is a rapidly progressive hemorrhagic fever disease. Six Ebola viruses have been identified, but the Zaire Ebola virus has been the primary cause of outbreaks over the past 20 years. Ebola has caused several outbreaks since it was first identified in 1976 and has caused significant human and economic damage.

Chey Chang-won, vice chairman of SK discovery, a parent company of SK bioscience, said the agreement is a great opportunity for SK bioscience to contribute to the fight against disease.

"This collaboration is a testament to SK bioscience's manufacturing capabilities and global network, which have been recognized through COVID-19, and marks an important milestone in our efforts to contribute to improving human health," Chey said.

"MSD is committed to finding innovative solutions to improve access to vaccines for people around the world, such as this collaboration with Hilleman Laboratories and SK bioscience, to make them more readily available," MSD Executive Vice President Sanat Chattopadhyay said.

With this agreement, SK bioscience plans to expand its capabilities in vaccine development and production to respond quickly to new pandemics. In addition to existing vaccine platforms, the company plans to secure new platforms such as mRNA and cell and gene therapy (CGT).

To this end, the company is expanding its production infrastructure. SK bioscience plans to increase its production capacity through a large-scale expansion of its vaccine production facility Andong L House as well as a new site of 99,130 square meters nearby.

baekby@koreatimes.co.kr