SK Bioscience, a subsidiary of SK Chemical, has signed a CDMO (contract development and manufacturing organization) contract for NVX-CoV2373, a Covid-19 vaccine candidate, with Novavax, a U.S. biopharmaceutical company.

Under the accord, SK Bioscience will receive the antigen manufacturing technology of NVX-CoV2373. After developing additional processes, the firm will produce the vaccine at its vaccine factory in Andong, North Gyeongsang Province, also known as L House, and supply it globally.

Besides, the two companies and the Ministry of Health and Welfare signed a letter of intent to cooperate in the fast and stable production of NVX-CoV2373, global supply support for equitable distribution for the vaccine, and health improvement through local supply efforts. NVX-CoV2373 is a candidate material in the form of nanoparticles after expressing the Covid-19 spike protein modified by recombinant technology in insect cells.

According to SK Bioscience, the vaccine is evaluated to have an excellent immunogenicity and neutralizing antibody formation effect as it uses Matrix-M, an immunostimulant developed by Novavax.

Novavax is conducting phase 2 clinical trials of NVX-CoV2373 and plans to enter phase 3 as early as October.

SK Bioscience, which has the synthetic antigen technology and the cell culture production method applied to NVX-CoV2373, will start developing the vaccine and produce the undiluted solution at its vaccine plant from this month. It will receive a portion of the $388 million funds that Novavax received from the Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations (CEPI). The company plans to utilize the money into its production facility at its Andong plant.

"We are pleased to partner with SK Bioscience to keep our promise to supply NVX-CoV2373 globally," Novavax CEO Stanley Erck said. "SK Bioscience will share our promise for the global access of our Covid-19 vaccine without discrimination."

SK Bioscience CEO Ahn Jae-yong also said, "Not only global companies, but also CEPI, an international organization that plays a leading role in the development and supply of Covid-19 vaccine, is paying attention to our technology and productivity."

He went on to say, “As a Korean company, we will do its best to keep pace with the government's policy of a two-track strategy of local development and overseas import.”