SK Bioscience to supply homegrown Covid-19 vaccine to KDCA – KBR

SK Bioscience said Monday that it signed a supply contract of GBP510, an independently developed Covid-19 vaccine candidate, with the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency (KDCA).

The contract amount is for 10 million doses, and SK Bioscience will supply them sequentially according to the inoculation plan of the KDCA after completing the development of GBP510.

SK Bioscience said that the company has proven its world-class technology by consigning and supplying two of the five major Covid-19 vaccines -- AstraZeneca and Novavax -- licensed in from advanced countries, such as the U.S. and EU, and receiving approval to supply its vaccine.

Based on such experiences, SK Bioscience plans to provide a new Covid-19 vaccine option through the supply of GBP510 and contribute to the national goal of preparing for an endemic era by securing vaccine sovereignty without being swayed by global supply-demand volatility while leading the successful globalization of Korean-made vaccines in the global market.

The company also seeks to promote the Korean vaccine industry into a global vaccine hub by providing GBP510 as a control vaccine to other Korean vaccine developers after consultation with health authorities.

"The GBP510 is the result of SK's technological prowess, the government's will to become a bio powerhouse, and the cooperation of global organizations supporting vaccine development for the public's right to health," SK Bioscience CEO Ahn Jae-yong said. "Starting with GBP510, we will develop products to prepare for various viral infections and establish ourselves as a leading company in the global vaccine market."

SK Bioscience developed GBP510 jointly with the University of Washington's Institute for Protein Design and used GSK's adjuvants in the clinical trials.

GBP510 is undergoing a global phase 3 clinical trial to verify safety and effectiveness. SK Bioscience has recently started expanding the scope of vaccination through additional clinical trials.

The company aims to expand the scope of the vaccine to include booster shots and children and adolescents simultaneously as part of its efforts to commercialize GBP510.

SK Bioscience has started research to confirm the preventive effect of GBP510 on Covid-19 variants, such as Omicron. It is building a platform to respond to the next pandemic using GBP510 development technology.

The company recently confirmed that the booster shot showed a preventive effect on Omicron virus from participants in the GBP510 phase 1 and 2 clinical trials and is conducting a comprehensive study.

SK Bioscience is also looking into developing a vaccine targeting the sarbecovirus, including Covid-19 and SARS (severe acute respiratory syndrome) viruses and related variants.

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SK Bioscience to supply homegrown Covid-19 vaccine to KDCA - KBR