SK Bioscience to manufacture MSD's Zaire ebolavirus vaccine candidate

SK Bioscience said on Monday that it signed an agreement with MSD to produce its next-generation Zaire ebolavirus vaccine candidate.

MSD is developing a next-generation Zaire Ebola vaccine candidate with Hilleman Laboratories to improve the process efficiency and thermal stability of the existing approved Zaire Ebola vaccine, ERVEBO.

Accordingly, SK Bioscience will manufacture the vaccine candidate at Andong L-House in Andong, North Gyeongsang Province. Subsequently, the vaccine candidate will be supplied to international organizations for use in the management of Ebola virus disease (EVD) once approval is granted by the relevant health authorities.

EVD causes severe and rapidly progressive hemorrhagic fever. 

Six Ebola viruses have been identified but the Zaire ebolavirus has been the primary cause of outbreaks over the past 20 years, causing significant human and economic losses.

"MSD is committed to finding innovative solutions to improve access to vaccines globally, such as this collaboration with the Hilleman Institute and SK Bioscience," said MSD's Executive Vice President of Manufacturing, Sanat Chattopadhyay.

SK Discovery Vice Chairman Choi Chang-won said the collaboration proved SK Bioscience's production capabilities and global network, which were recognized through Covid-19. "We look forward to further collaborations with other institutes based on our shared belief in addressing vaccine supply imbalances and expanding access to vaccines in middle- and low-income countries."

Meanwhile, SK Bioscience recently announced its intentions to enhance its competitiveness in the CDMO market. 

The company is heavily investing in establishing a Global R&D Center in Songdo, Incheon, scheduled to be completed in 2025. This will include a pilot plant, which is a small-scale trial facility built for testing a new process or product. 

The R&D center will cover research on cell gene therapies(CGT), mRNA, and viral vectors.