Vaccination (Image courtesy of Yonhap)
SEOUL, Jun. 27 (Korea Bizwire) – South Korean vaccine developers are leveraging the expertise gained during COVID-19 vaccine development to accelerate the creation of messenger RNA (mRNA) vaccine platforms.
This push has gained momentum following the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency’s recent emphasis on domestically producing mRNA vaccine platforms capable of developing vaccines within 100-200 days to combat potential new influenza pandemics.
Messenger RNA, a genetic material that acts as a “blueprint” for protein production in the body, forms the basis for these vaccines. When injected, mRNA vaccines introduce viral information, prompting the body to synthesize viral proteins and subsequently generate antibodies.
Several major players in the Korean biotech industry are making significant strides in this field:
Chong Kun Dang Pharmaceutical’s vaccine subsidiary, CHA Vaccine Institute, signed a memorandum of understanding with Institut Pasteur Korea last month.
The agreement aims to jointly develop vaccine platforms to counter potentially pandemic-causing infectious diseases, focusing on preclinical and clinical research for mRNA vaccine and therapeutic candidates.
GC Pharma (formerly known as Green Cross Corporation) has established an mRNA product manufacturing facility at its vaccine plant in Hwasun, Jeollanam-do.
The pilot-scale facility is capable of producing clinical trial materials, currently sufficient for phase 1 and 2 trials.
The company has also secured its own lipid nanoparticle (LNP) technology, a crucial delivery system for mRNA-based drugs, and is applying it to influenza vaccine production.
SK Bioscience entered into an agreement with the Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations (CEPI) in 2022 for mRNA vaccine development.
The company is receiving approximately $140 million (about 200 billion won) in R&D funding, which it is using to develop mRNA vaccine platforms for Japanese encephalitis and Lassa fever.
STPharm is currently conducting phase 1 clinical trials for its mRNA-based COVID-19 vaccine candidate, STP2104.
A company representative emphasized the significance of this development, stating, “Having an mRNA vaccine platform in place will allow us to more rapidly produce mRNA vaccines targeting new indications in the event of another pandemic.”
M. H. Lee (mhlee@koreabizwire.com)
