EuBiologics said on Thursday that it received an award letter from the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) for the delivery of 49.3 million doses of its oral cholera vaccine in 2024, valued at approximately $99 million. 

This order surpasses the company's 51.2 billion won in cholera vaccine sales last year, by more than 2.4 times, setting the stage for record sales in 2024.

EuBiologics has been supplying the plastic packaging of Euvichol-Plus to UNICEF since 2018. The new plastic packaging of Euvichol-Plus reduces the vial’s volume by nearly 30 percent and weight by over 50 percent, allowing easier transport and distribution of the vaccine and waste management. Compared with glass vials, the plastic packaging is also easier to open and administer. 

However, as the demand for vaccines has increased dramatically due to the recent global cholera outbreak, EuBiologics will supply the total production capacity, including Euvichol in glass vial formulation, which will be contract manufactured by GC Biopharma. Euvichol-S is expected to receive WHO PQ approval in the first quarter of next year.

In recent years, global climate change has resulted in frequent heat waves, heavy rainfall and earthquakes, and cholera outbreaks in Africa and other developing countries.

Accordingly, the company will start producing at full capacity from next year to combat the international cholera epidemic.

However, a company official explained that UNICEF's request for procurement is not legally binding; nevertheless, the company will deliver according to confirmed product orders starting from January next year, following the signing of the agreement.

"We are pleased that the first vaccine we produce will record sales next year, but as it is currently the only cholera vaccine supplied in the world, we will do our best to produce a stable vaccine supply without any problems," said a company official.