Jinwon Life Sciences Subsidiary VGXI Launches COVID-19 Clinical Vaccine

[Asia Economy Reporter Jang Hyowon] GeneOne Life Science announced on the 7th that its cGMP contract development and manufacturing organization (CDMO) subsidiary VGXI, located in Houston, USA, produced and launched a COVID-19 vaccine in the shortest time.

VGXI revealed that it is participating in the research and development of a COVID-19 preventive DNA vaccine promoted by Inovio, a Nasdaq-listed company in the US, with $9 million funding from the Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations (CEPI), and is responsible for the vaccine's production. Using the COVID-19 vaccine produced by VGXI, Inovio plans to enter Phase 1 clinical trials in the US and administer the vaccine to the first subject on the same day.

After VGXI, a subsidiary of GeneOne Life Science, took charge of producing the COVID-19 vaccine at the end of January, it mobilized all available resources to rapidly complete production in just two months. This was only three months after the genetic sequence of the COVID-19 virus was disclosed. VGXI stated, "We produced thousands of doses up to four times faster than the usual production period for plasmid vaccines."

Park Young-geun, CEO of GeneOne Life Science and VGXI, said, "Our company has made relentless efforts to produce the COVID-19 vaccine, and through this, we shortened the typical manufacturing schedule to complete and launch the COVID-19 vaccine production in the shortest time." He added, "We are proud to be part of the global efforts underway to develop COVID-19 vaccines to combat the virus."

VGXI and Inovio have maintained a manufacturing partnership for the past 13 years. Rob Juba, Vice President of Manufacturing and Vaccine Supply Management at Inovio, said, "We are pleased to collaborate with VGXI on the production of this COVID-19 vaccine," and added, "The rapid manufacturing of the COVID-19 vaccine INO-4800 has enabled us to proceed swiftly with clinical development."

Meanwhile, GeneOne Life Science announced plans to additionally produce INO-4800 on a large scale in the second quarter of this year.