SK Bioscience's First Domestic Vaccine 'Skycovione' Officially Shipped

[Asia Economy Reporter Kim Young-won] The initial shipment of 'Skycovione,' the first domestically produced COVID-19 vaccine, has been completed. The shipped vaccines will be distributed nationwide, and vaccinations will begin on the 5th.

The Ministry of Health and Welfare and SK Bioscience announced that a commemorative ceremony was held at 3 p.m. on the 2nd at the L House factory in Andong, Gyeongbuk, to celebrate the first shipment of Skycovione.

The event was attended by the Prime Minister, the 2nd Vice Minister of Health and Welfare, Choi Chang-won, Vice Chairman of SK Discovery, Ahn Jae-yong, CEO of SK Bioscience, as well as National Assembly members Kim Hyung-dong, Kang Ki-yoon, and Jung Chun-sook, Lee Cheol-woo, Governor of Gyeongsangbuk-do, Kwon Ki-chang, Mayor of Andong, officials from the Ministry of Health and Welfare, Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency, Ministry of Food and Drug Safety, and local government representatives.

The shipment volume this time is 609,000 doses, the initial quantity out of the 10 million doses pre-purchased by the government. The vaccines will be distributed nationwide according to regional demand and used for immunization.

Skycovione is the first domestically produced COVID-19 vaccine. It received approval from the Ministry of Food and Drug Safety on June 29 of this year, was approved for shipment on the 26th of last month, and shipments began on the 30th of the same month. SK Bioscience co-developed the vaccine with the Antigen Design Research Institute (IPD) at the University of Washington School of Pharmacy in the United States, with development funding supported by the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation and the Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations (CEPI).

Skycovione will be used for the primary 1st and 2nd doses for unvaccinated adults aged 18 and over, with pre-registration having started the day before. On-site vaccinations will begin on the 5th, and vaccinations for those who pre-registered will start on the 13th.

Considering clinical research results on additional doses of Skycovione, the health authorities are also planning to utilize it for booster shots within this month. According to analysis by the National Institute of Health, booster doses with Skycovione showed an increase in neutralizing antibody titers against the Wuhan strain (11.0-fold), BA.1 (51.9-fold), and BA.5 (28.2-fold).

Lee Ki-il, the 2nd Vice Minister of Health and Welfare, said at the event, "We sincerely congratulate the development and shipment of the first domestically produced vaccine. The development of Korea's first domestic COVID-19 vaccine is significant in that Korea has secured vaccine sovereignty." He added, "Based on the experience of developing the first domestic vaccine, we will actively support Korea's bio-health industry to become a leading bio-nation that can develop vaccines and therapeutics faster and supply them globally in future infectious disease pandemics."

Choi Chang-won, Vice Chairman of SK Discovery, said, "The success of Skycovione was possible thanks to the help of numerous domestic and international partners." He added, "Based on this valuable experience, we will further strengthen global cooperation systems, expand the technology platform, and enhance and sophisticate our infrastructure."

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