LG Chem begins developing 1st homegrown combined vaccine for infants
LG Chem has started developing Korea's first hexavalent combined vaccine for infants, which currently depends entirely on imports.
The only hexavalent combined vaccine currently available in Korea is Sanofi's Hexaxim.
The company said it enrolled the first patient in Korea's phase 1 clinical trial of APV006, a hexavalent combined vaccine based on acellular pertussis.
APV006 is a vaccine that protects against six infectious diseases - diphtheria, tetanus, pertussis, polio, meningitis, and hepatitis B - and requires two fewer doses than the pentavalent vaccine commonly used in Korea.
LG Chem will evaluate the safety and immunogenicity of APV006 vs. a commercial hexavalent combination vaccine in 42 healthy adults at Seoul National University Hospital.
The company stressed that it decided to develop APV006 to stabilize the domestic vaccine supply chain in a situation where overseas manufacturers' country-specific supply strategies and quality issues are impacting the supply of vaccines in Korea.
"In fact, due to unexpected temporary supply interruptions by overseas manufacturers, Korea witnessed a shortage of infant vaccines in 2021 and 2022," the company said. "As a result, many parents who had to make their children receive multiple doses of a single vaccine complained of inconvenience."
LG Chem said it would invest over 200 billion won ($156.1 million) in clinical development and manufacturing facility construction for APV006 and commercialize it in Korea by 2030.
"It is a significant task to internalize the manufacturing technology for all six vaccines and combine them into one single vaccine amid concerns about supply and demand and to provide a stable environment for our children to receive essential vaccines," said Son Jee-woong, head of LG Chem's life science business.
Through timely investment, the company will accelerate the commercialization of the vaccine while also seeking to export the vaccine globally to actively contribute to preventing infectious diseases around the world, Son added.