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| A SK bioscience employee conducts an experiment. Courtesy of SK bioscience |
By Lee Kyung-min
SK bioscience, a biotech affiliate of SK Group, said Wednesday that it will develop a spray-type antiviral drug, with research funds provided by the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, a private foundation.
Also joining the project are the Institute for Protein Design (IPD), a research institute under the University of Washington, and the International AIDS Vaccine Initiative (IAVI), a global not-profit, public-private partnership working to accelerate the development of vaccines to prevent HIV infection and AIDS. HIV, short for "human immunodeficiency virus," is a virus that attacks the body's immune system. AIDS, short for "acquired immunodeficiency syndrome," is a chronic, potentially life-threatening condition caused by HIV.
The SK affiliate said the spray will help prevent infections, including COVID-19, mostly by forming a protective film inside the nose that prevents virus penetration.
The nasal spray can be widely used to prevent and treat a variety of infectious diseases, according to the firm.
The spray, which comes in a multi-dose container, can be stored at room temperature, meaning it will be easy to manufacture and distribute.
"The spray will function as a primary defense mechanism the same way mask-wearing does," an SK bioscience spokesperson said. "It will prevent the spread of viruses before the development of vaccines or other treatment methods."
SK bioscience will use $2.2 million (2.65 billion won), drawn from the fund the IAVI received from the Gates Foundation, to explore drug material candidates as part of the initial non-clinical development stage.
"The project is expected to help contain ever-evolving respiratory viruses with a rapid response. We will bolster international cooperation to contribute to humanity and become a global leader," said SK bioscience CEO Ahn Jae-yong.
The development plan is the latest cooperation between the Korean biotech firm and the IPD. In March, Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency (KDCA) and SK bioscience signed the order agreement for 10 million doses of COVID-19 vaccine candidate GBP510, a synthetic antigen vaccine developed jointly by the SK affiliate and the IPD.
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