The Second Space War Vaccine Development... US, China, and Europe Race Against Time

[Image source=AP Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporters Choi Dae-yeol and Jung Hyun-jin] As the initial clinical trial results of Moderna, a U.S. biotech company, for the novel coronavirus infection (COVID-19) have been released, the global race to develop and secure vaccines is intensifying. The United States and China are fiercely competing for 'hegemony' over vaccines, and there are even forecasts that a vaccine could be available as early as September. Meanwhile, concerns are being raised domestically that South Korea may be falling behind in the vaccine development race, as it has yet to enter clinical trials.

According to the World Health Organization (WHO) on the 18th (local time), there are currently about 110 COVID-19 vaccines under development. Among these, a total of 8 vaccines have entered clinical trial stages. Four are being developed by Chinese pharmaceutical companies or research institutes, two are in the U.S., and the UK and U.S. Pfizer are each developing one vaccine.

◆ Although called a "public good"... fierce jockeying among countries= Governments around the world are engaged in a game of brinkmanship over who will develop the vaccine first and who will secure the initial supply first. While world leaders publicly state that "vaccines are a public good" considering the pandemic situation, evaluations suggest that they are focusing on securing supplies to prioritize their own citizens.

Considering the announced timelines, the fastest progress is expected from the UK. The UK government announced the day before that Oxford University and pharmaceutical company AstraZeneca, which are developing a COVID-19 vaccine, have signed a license agreement, and assuming the ongoing research is successfully completed, they expect to secure 30 million doses by September. However, this vaccine is expected to be supplied to the UK first. Alok Sharma, UK Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, said, "The UK will have the earliest access to the Oxford vaccine."

U.S. President Donald Trump is also focusing on the speed of vaccine development. Upon hearing the Phase 1 clinical trial results of Moderna on the same day, he expressed satisfaction, saying, "There was a very good announcement." President Trump, who announced the activation of a 'warp speed development team' for COVID-19 vaccine development, stated that the goal is to produce 300 million doses by the end of the year or January next year.

◆ From trade to vaccine development... U.S.-China vaccine competition= The hegemony competition between the U.S. and China is also evident in vaccine development. Realistically, it is difficult for either country to extend a hand to the other, and obtaining a vaccine that can end the pandemic is equivalent to securing immense power. Earlier this month, at a meeting where world leaders gathered to cooperate on vaccine development, the U.S. did not participate, and China sent its ambassador to the European Union (EU) instead, revealing tensions.

The two countries also exchanged verbal attacks over vaccine supply issues. Peter Navarro, Director of Trade and Manufacturing Policy at the White House, attacked the day before, saying, "The Chinese government will use the (COVID) vaccine to profiteer and hold the world hostage." Chinese President Xi Jinping attended the WHO annual meeting, the World Health Assembly virtual conference, and said, "If China can provide vaccines, it will make them a global public good," indirectly rebutting the U.S. offensive.

◆ Slow pace in South Korea... still in pre-clinical trial stages= Unlike the speed race centered on the U.S. and China, domestically, efforts remain at the stage of finding candidate substances or testing efficacy on animals. It is just taking the first step before entering clinical trials. Joint research between public institutions such as the Korea National Institute of Health and private pharmaceutical and biotech companies is relatively faster. SK Bioscience, conducting government emergency research projects, started research in March to find vaccine candidates using a synthetic antigen method. It recently received research and development funding from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation. The goal is to quickly identify candidate substances by applying existing vaccine platform technology, conduct animal testing, and enter clinical trials on humans around September.

GeneOne Life Science, developing a Middle East Respiratory Syndrome (MERS) vaccine, is also searching for vaccine candidates under a government research project. This company, mainly engaged in research on vaccines for new and mutated infectious diseases, recently completed Phase 2 clinical trials for the MERS vaccine domestically. A consortium consisting of bio-venture Genexine, Binnex, ZhenBio, the International Vaccine Institute, KAIST, and POSTECH also started research last month. They plan to submit clinical trial plans this month and begin clinical trials next month. Recently, they selected candidate substances through non-clinical trials on primates and neutralizing antibody analysis. This consortium is developing a DNA vaccine and is producing pharmaceuticals for clinical trials. Professor Sung Baek-rin of Yonsei University, who leads the Vaccine Practical Technology Development Project, said, "We are providing multifaceted support, such as exempting the review by the Institutional Review Board for clinical trials and supporting animal testing models at the public institution level."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.