Jinwon Life Sciences Signs Vaccine Technology Transfer Agreement with Wistar Institute for Nipah and Powassan Virus Prevention

[Asia Economy Reporter Jang Hyowon] GeneOne Life Science announced on the 9th that it has signed a technology transfer agreement for nucleic acid vaccine candidates preventing Nipah and Powassan viruses owned by the Wistar Institute of Anatomy and Biology in the United States.

A GeneOne Life Science official explained, "Using our company's nucleic acid vaccine development platform, we will have licensing and commercialization opportunities not only for clinical development of DNA and mRNA vaccines but also with vaccine companies in Southeast Asia where Nipah infectious disease is spreading."

The Powassan vaccine candidate transferred this time was previously reported in the international academic journal PLoS Neglected Tropical Disease to completely prevent Powassan virus in immunodeficient mice, an experimental animal. The Nipah vaccine was developed based on research conducted in India by Dr. Ka Mutumani, Chief Scientific Officer of GeneOne Life Science, during his tenure at the Wistar Institute.

Park Younggeun, CEO of GeneOne Life Science, emphasized, "There are currently no approved vaccines or treatments for Nipah virus and Powassan virus," adding, "Through our nucleic acid vaccine platform and innovative in vivo delivery technology under development for application in low-income countries, we will ensure these vaccines can be widely supplied."

Meanwhile, Nipah virus is transmitted to humans from infected bats or pigs, causing severe encephalitis with a fatality rate of 40-75%. It mostly occurs as an endemic disease in Asia and Australia, with large-scale outbreaks continuing particularly in India and Bangladesh. In September, a large-scale outbreak with strong spread was reported in India.

The World Health Organization (WHO) has designated Nipah infectious disease as one of the 10 priority diseases for response. South Korean health authorities are also reportedly preparing with concern as the possibility of domestic inflow increases.

Powassan virus is a tick-borne encephalitis virus endemic to Europe and has spread to the United States. Although its fatality rate is 20-25%, it causes severe encephalitis and is known to result in a high rate of permanent neurological disorders even after recovery.