CreoSG Secures Saudi Patent for VSV-Based MERS Vaccine... SUV-MAP Technology Validated

CreoSG has strengthened its competitiveness in vaccine technology by obtaining a patent in Saudi Arabia for its MERS vaccine developed using a recombinant VSV (vector) platform.

On March 24, CreoSG announced that its MERS (Middle East Respiratory Syndrome) vaccine, developed based on a recombinant VSV (Vesicular Stomatitis Virus) vector system, has been granted a patent in Saudi Arabia.

This VSV-MERS vaccine was jointly developed by its subsidiary, SmaGen Canada, and the research team led by Professor Kang Chilyong at the University of Western Ontario. The vaccine is characterized by the genetic attenuation of the recombinant VSV vector to enhance safety, loading the MERS-CoV viral envelope protein onto its 'SUV-MAP' vaccine platform, and then boosting expression to maximize efficacy.

MERS is a viral respiratory disease caused by the Middle East Respiratory Syndrome coronavirus (MERS-CoV) and was first reported in Saudi Arabia in 2012. It can cause a wide range of symptoms, from mild to severe, mainly affecting the respiratory tract, and poses a high risk of death if it progresses to pneumonia.

In Korea, there were 186 infections and 38 deaths in 2015, which led to its recognition as a serious infectious disease. As of March 2026, the global and regional risk remains at a moderate level, but it continues to be regarded as a persistent threat in the Middle East. The continued lack of approved vaccines or specific antiviral treatments underscores the ongoing need for vaccine development.

SUV-MAP is a vaccine development platform based on recombinant VSV vector technology. CreoSG has registered the SUV-MAP trademark to protect this technology and to utilize it in various vaccine developments. The company can produce recombinant viruses equipped with various target antigen genes, mass-produce them in cultured cells, and use them as vaccine raw materials. It is also evaluated as a technology capable of establishing a rapid vaccine development and production system, enabling a swift response in the event of future pandemics.

A company official stated, "The COVID-19 pandemic has once again highlighted the risks of similar viral diseases such as MERS. In particular, securing a patent in Saudi Arabia, the epicenter of MERS outbreaks and where many cases have occurred, not only protects our technology but also enables us to accelerate potential collaborations for future vaccine development."

Meanwhile, CreoSG has been securing global patents for its original recombinant VSV vector system technology and is in the process of registering individual patents for VSV-Zika, VSV-MERS, VSV-COVID, VSV-Hanta, and VSV-SFTS vaccines.