SK Bioscience announced on the 19th that it signed a CMO (consignment manufacturing) contract with Novavax, an American bio company, for the transfer of COVID-19 vaccine antigen material and vaccine concentrate technology for responding to mutant viruses.
SK Bioscience, which made its name as a global vaccine hub last year through C(D)MO (Consignment Development and Manufacturing) and in-house development of the COVID-19 vaccine, appears to be proactive in preparing a strategy to respond to the prolonged COVID-19 situation.
This contract is a change to the COVID-19 vaccine consignment production contract signed last year to suit the recently spreading mutant strain, and SK Bioscience will receive technology for the COVID-19 mutant strain vaccine from Novavax and use it to produce the concentrate. The production of mutant strain concentrate will be carried out at two of the three production facilities in Andong L House that SK Bioscience has signed an existing contract with Novavax.
In addition, a new CMO contract was signed to complete and supply the produced mutant vaccine concentrate as a finished product in a prefilled syringe formulation. The contract size is approximately $29.8 million (approximately KRW 39.5 billion). SK Bioscience plans to begin preparing to produce a new formulation in the second half of this year and apply it to the Novavax vaccine produced at L House starting next year.
A prefilled syringe is a type in which a syringe is pre-filled with a chemical solution, and is characterized by higher safety and convenience of inoculation compared to existing vial formulations.
SK Bioscience is also continuing discussions on extending the consignment production contract for Novavax vaccine concentrate, which was contracted until the end of this year.
Through this contract, SK Bioscience and Novavax plan to actively respond to the pandemic caused by constantly emerging mutations such as BA.5 and further strengthen the cooperative relationship between the two companies. Novavax is currently seeking to supply a new vaccine to respond to mutant viruses in preparation for the COVID-19 resurgence expected to occur this fall, and SK Bioscience is also developing a combo vaccine based on the platform of its self-developed vaccine ‘Skycovione’ in addition to its CMO business. We plan to actively respond to the COVID-19 pandemic through multivalent vaccines and universal vaccines.
Novavax CEO Stanley Erck said, “As a result of the analysis of clinical data to date, Novavax’s COVID-19 vaccine showed a universal preventive effect against the COVID-19 virus, including Omicron BA.5.” He added, “Currently, BA. 5 We are quickly pursuing a clinical program for the vaccine, and we will work to develop and commercialize the mutant vaccine through cooperation with SK Bioscience.”
SK Bioscience President Ahn Jae-yong said, “We plan to once again fulfill our role as a global vaccine hub at a time when challenges against new mutations are necessary,” and added, “As an innovative vaccine company and partner through collaboration with various global companies in addition to developing our own vaccines. “We will take the lead in protecting public health,” he said.
Meanwhile, SK Bioscience and Novavax have been collaborating for the second year to respond to COVID-19. Starting with the CDMO contract for Novavax’s COVID-19 vaccine in August 2020, SK Bioscience transferred technology and exclusively domestically produced and licensed ‘NewVaxovid’, a synthetic antigen-based COVID-19 vaccine developed by Novavax in February last year. , now retains the right to sell. Afterwards, the two companies strengthened their cooperation by signing a CMO and license expansion agreement for the production and global supply of the concentrate of ‘New Vacsovid’.
NewVaxovid was listed as the fifth vaccine to be officially approved in Korea, and recently became the fourth vaccine approved in the United States as the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved emergency use of the Novavax vaccine.
Source: Pangyo Techno Valley Official Newsroom
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