Initial Batch of Moderna Vaccine Produced Under Samba Contract Manufacturing to Arrive Domestically This Week

SK Bioscience to Produce Second Domestic Vaccine Following AZ Vaccine
First mRNA Vaccine Production in Korea

Moderna COVID-19 Vaccine [Image source=AP Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Lee Chun-hee] The initial batch of 2.44 million doses of the Moderna vaccine, contract-manufactured (CMO) by Samsung Biologics, will be introduced to South Korea this week.

Ryu Geun-hyuk, the 1st Chief Coordinator of the Central Disaster and Safety Countermeasures Headquarters (Vice Minister of Health and Welfare), stated at the COVID-19 regular briefing on the 26th, "The initial batch of 2,435,000 doses of the Moderna vaccine contract-manufactured by Samsung Biologics is planned to be introduced domestically within this week."

Samsung Biologics' production of the Moderna vaccine was based on the contract manufacturing agreement made between Samsung Biologics and Moderna during President Moon Jae-in's visit to the United States for the Korea-US summit in May. Following this, after continuous consultations between the government and Moderna regarding the domestic introduction of the Samsung Biologics-produced vaccine, the decision to introduce it domestically was finalized.

The day before, the Ministry of Food and Drug Safety completed the Good Manufacturing Practice (GMP) certification for Samsung Biologics' vaccine manufacturing facility, and upon the request of the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency, emergency use authorization was also approved on the same day, finalizing the domestic introduction of the Moderna vaccine.

Incheon Songdo Samsung Biologics Plant 3 (Photo by Samsung Biologics)

This introduction is the second case following the AstraZeneca vaccine, which SK Bioscience is contract-manufacturing (CMO), where a domestically produced vaccine is administered to the public. It is also the fourth vaccine produced domestically, following the AstraZeneca, Novavax, and Sputnik V vaccines currently in production. Notably, it is significant as the first messenger RNA (mRNA) vaccine produced domestically.

The Ministry of Food and Drug Safety explained that, as the first domestically produced mRNA vaccine, the product was evaluated through professional verification procedures including GMP assessment and comprehensive quality inspections. Considering the characteristics of mRNA vaccines, which are easily destroyed by heat, the management conditions such as maintaining aseptic status throughout the entire manufacturing process were closely evaluated.

Ryu Geun-hyuk, the 1st Chief Coordinator, said, "This introduction is a result of public-private cooperation to enable our citizens to be vaccinated with vaccines produced in our country," adding, "In the prolonged COVID-19 situation, it will establish a stable vaccine production base domestically and serve as an opportunity for South Korea to position itself as a vaccine hub contributing to global vaccine supply."

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