SK Bioscience’s ‘100-Day Vaccine Development’ Challenge Gains Momentum

First Global Clinical Trial Begins After Three Years of Challenge
"We Aim to Solidify Our Position as a Leading Vaccine R&D Company"

SK Bioscience’s challenge to develop and deliver a vaccine within 100 days in response to emergency situations, as part of its preparations for the ‘next pandemic,’ appears to be gaining momentum.

An SK Bioscience researcher is conducting experiments related to mRNA vaccine development. SK Bioscience

According to the bio industry on March 4, SK Bioscience launched a global clinical trial (simultaneous phase 1 and 2) for ‘GBP560,’ a Japanese encephalitis vaccine candidate developed using mRNA technology, on February 25.

Previously, in 2022, SK Bioscience signed an agreement with the international organization CEPI (Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations) to receive $40 million in initial R&D funding and began the ‘100-Day Mission’ project. If the project enters the late-stage development phase, CEPI plans to provide SK Bioscience with up to an additional $100 million in support.

The 100-Day Mission aims to establish the capability to proactively respond to pandemic situations. The 100-day timeframe is linked to the period during which COVID-19 spread rapidly worldwide. In December 2019, the COVID-19 virus was first identified in Wuhan, Hubei Province, China, and about three months later, in March 2020, the World Health Organization (WHO) declared the outbreak a pandemic. Experts generally agree that if a vaccine can be developed within 100 days, it may be possible to prevent a virus from escalating into a pandemic.

As part of the ‘100-Day Mission’ project, SK Bioscience is currently developing vaccines for Japanese encephalitis and Lassa fever viruses. The goal of this project is to establish an mRNA vaccine platform. Through the project, SK Bioscience aims to secure mRNA vaccine platform technology that can address various diseases, build a new pipeline, and strengthen its global competitiveness.

SK Bioscience is putting significant effort into this project, as securing an mRNA platform would enable the development of a wide range of vaccines. A company representative stated, “While Moderna has risen rapidly, its only platform is mRNA. SK Bioscience already possesses synthetic antigen and cutting-edge cell culture technologies, so if we also secure mRNA, we will be in a position to lead in technological capabilities.”

The mRNA vaccine platform, first commercialized in COVID-19 vaccines, uses genetic sequences to enable rapid mass production compared to traditional platforms. This advantage makes it well-suited for pandemic response, and its potential application in therapeutic drug development is also increasing, leading to expectations of rapid market expansion.

SK Bioscience plans to obtain interim results for ‘GBP560,’ which has entered clinical trials, by next year. In addition, the Lassa fever virus vaccine is reportedly in the preclinical stage.

SK Bioscience stated that, depending on the success of phase 1/2 clinical trials, it will discuss with CEPI whether to pursue technology exports and begin developing vaccines for more severe diseases, or to handle production and distribution directly.

A company representative said, “If we expand our technology through the mRNA platform, we will be able to respond rapidly to unknown diseases and secure sufficient supply. We will continue to contribute to global public health and strengthen our position as a leading company in vaccine R&D.”

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