SK Bioscience Accelerates Development of Next-Generation Ebola Vaccine

SK Bioscience is embarking on the development of a second-generation Ebola vaccine.

At the signing ceremony for the "Joint Research and Development Agreement for New Vaccines and Platforms," Raman Rao, CEO of the Hillman Institute (left), and Jae-yong Ahn, President of SK Bioscience, are posing for a commemorative photo.
[Photo by SK Bioscience]

On the 22nd, SK Bioscience announced that it has signed a memorandum of understanding for the joint development of a second-generation Zaire Ebola Virus vaccine with the international non-profit research institute Hilleman Laboratories. Hilleman Laboratories was established in 2009 as a joint venture between the global pharmaceutical company MSD (Merck & Co., USA) and the UK's Wellcome Trust, the world's largest medical research funding foundation. The institute conducts research not only on vaccine and drug development but also on efficient delivery methods of vaccines and drugs tailored to the environments of developing countries.

First identified in 1976, Ebola Virus Disease (EVD) occurs periodically in Africa and other regions, claiming numerous lives. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), the fatality rate reaches 50%. To date, six types of viruses causing Ebola Virus Disease have been identified, with the Zaire Ebola Virus being recognized as the primary cause.

Currently commercialized Ebola vaccines include MSD's 'ERVEBO' and Johnson & Johnson's (J&J) 'ZABDENO,' but due to the high fatality rate of the disease and its significant social impact during outbreaks, the development of follow-up vaccines is urgent. Notably, Ebola Virus Disease, which was previously confined to regions such as Africa, escalated into a global epidemic beyond West Africa in 2014, prompting the WHO to declare a public health emergency at that time.

Since then, pharmaceutical companies worldwide have been actively developing next-generation Ebola vaccines to ensure timely and sufficient supply. Hilleman Laboratories, together with MSD, succeeded in discovering a second-generation Ebola vaccine candidate by optimizing product yield, storage conditions, process efficiency, and improving thermal stability.

MSD (Merck & Co., USA)'s Ebola vaccine 'Ervebo'

Under this agreement, SK Bioscience will collaborate to develop the improved second-generation ERVEBO vaccine in terms of vaccine production processes, production efficiency, and thermal stability. The two companies plan to secure price competitiveness after the vaccine's development and supply it to low- and middle-income countries. Additionally, after commercialization, SK Bioscience will undertake contract manufacturing (CMO) of the globally supplied second-generation Ebola vaccine at its own vaccine facility, Andong L-House. SK Bioscience and MSD previously signed a CMO contract for the second-generation Ebola vaccine in May.

In particular, through this joint development, SK Bioscience aims to acquire new platform technology and expertise based on the recombinant vesicular stomatitis virus (rVSV) vector and plans to collaborate with Hilleman Laboratories for the development of vaccines against various infectious diseases in the future. The rVSV technology, which delivers viral genes into the human body, can be widely used for preventive vaccines, and this joint development experience is expected to serve as a foundation for strategic pipeline expansion.

Raman Rao, CEO of Hilleman Laboratories, stated, “We consider it our mission to develop more affordable and accessible vaccines,” adding, “Through our partnership with SK Bioscience, we will strive to develop key vaccines that can positively impact public health not only in Central and West Africa but worldwide.” SK Bioscience President Ahn Jae-yong also said, “Creating vaccines to prevent viruses that cause highly fatal diseases like Ebola is an essential task to protect human survival rights,” and added, “We will successfully complete this project to contribute to overcoming the disease and expand cooperation with global companies and institutions to grow into a world-class company.”

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