Synergy with InventiGelab, SML Biopharm, KRIBB and Seoul National University College of Veterinary Medicine “Consortium to first tackle development of a vaccine against COVID‑19 variants”
(Seoul=News1) Reporter Hwang Jin-jung = YubioLogics (206650) announced on the 5th that it held a launch event for a “vaccine development consortium” together with domestic companies specializing in messenger RNA (mRNA) vaccine technology.
YubioLogics plans to add an mRNA vaccine development platform to its in‑house protein subunit vaccine development platform through this consortium.
The mRNA vaccine development consortium for emerging and variant infectious diseases will include: YubioLogics, a vaccine commercialization specialist; SML Biopharm; InventiGelab; the Korea Research Institute of Bioscience and Biotechnology (KRIBB); and Seoul National University College of Veterinary Medicine.
SML Biopharm holds proprietary patents for mRNA and lipid nanoparticle (LNP) platform technologies as well as mRNA antigen design technology. InventiGelab has facilities and platform technologies capable of reliably manufacturing carrier LNPs in GMP‑approved pharmaceutical manufacturing facilities.
The Korea Research Institute of Bioscience and Biotechnology and Seoul National University College of Veterinary Medicine will collaborate on research support and vaccine efficacy evaluation.
To support the consortium, YubioLogics signed a technology transfer agreement with SML Biopharm last month for mRNA vaccine‑related technologies. They agreed to cooperate under a payment/royalty arrangement based on the commercialization stage of each product.
This consortium is one of several mRNA vaccine development projects being pursued by major domestic companies and organizations. It is expected to play an important role in Korea’s self‑reliance in mRNA vaccine development for emerging and variant infectious diseases and in strengthening the competitiveness of the vaccine industry. The consortium plans to expand its scope beyond vaccine‑preventable diseases to include development of therapeutic cancer vaccines in the future.
A YubioLogics representative said, “Through a consortium with domestic technology‑holding companies, we will first take on the challenge of developing an mRNA vaccine targeting COVID‑19 variants,” adding, “We have a strategy to contribute to early response with rapidly developed mRNA vaccines and then replace them with our stable and safe in‑house protein antigen vaccines for annually emerging variants or periodic vaccinations.”
They added, “This consortium will serve as a key stepping stone for the development of the domestic vaccine industry and is expected to play an important role not only in responding to emerging and variant infectious diseases but also in the commercialization of next‑generation vaccine technologies.”
News1 https://www.news1.kr/bio/pharmaceutical-bio/5622482 Newsis https://www.newsis.com/view/NISX20241205_0002985557 Seoul Economic Daily https://www.sedaily.com/NewsView/2DI055ZE9B Korea Economic Daily https://www.hankyung.com/article/202412056715i Edaily https://www.edaily.co.kr/News/Read?newsId=03276726639115568&mediaCodeNo=257&OutLnkChk=Y Yakup (Pharmaceutical News) https://www.yakup.com/news/index.html?mode=view&cat=12&nid=303328 Hit News http://www.hitnews.co.kr/news/articleView.html?idxno=59753
