Korea to Become the Third Country in the World to Possess Domestic COVID-19 Vaccine and Treatment

SK Bioscience Vaccine 'GBP510'
Pre-purchased Doses Likely Available for Vaccination in Second Half

Yoon Visits Headquarters to Encourage Developers
Discusses Support with SK Chairman Chey Tae-won

SK Bioscience's 'GBP510,' the first domestically developed COVID-19 vaccine

[Asia Economy Reporter Lee Chun-hee] SK Bioscience, developing ‘GBP510’ as the first domestically produced COVID-19 vaccine, is expected to make South Korea the third country in the world, after the United States and the United Kingdom, to possess both domestically developed COVID-19 vaccines and therapeutics once it is officially launched.

According to SK Bioscience on the 25th, the company began developing a COVID-19 vaccine around March 2020, when the pandemic started. Through this process, SK Bioscience succeeded in deriving two candidate substances, GBP510 and NBP2001, and embarked on vaccine development. NBP2001 was the first to enter clinical trials, starting Phase 1 in November 2020, raising expectations.

However, GBP510, selected as a project supported by the Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations (CEPI) and the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation (BMGF), showed better efficacy through an adjuvant, changing the priority. SK Bioscience halted the development of NBP2001 at Phase 1 and selected GBP510 as the final COVID-19 vaccine candidate.

GBP510 demonstrated efficacy by inducing neutralizing antibodies in over 99% of the vaccinated group during Phase 1 and 2 clinical trials, and in August last year, it began large-scale Phase 3 clinical trials involving 4,037 participants across six countries.

Once approved by authorities, South Korea will become the third country in the world, after the United States and the United Kingdom, to have developed both COVID-19 vaccines and therapeutics domestically. Previously, Celltrion’s antibody therapeutic, Regkirona, was approved last year in South Korea and Europe.

Celltrion's COVID-19 Antibody Treatment 'Rekkirona'

After approval, vaccinations are expected to begin in the second half of the year through a pre-purchase contract for 10 million doses (worth 200 billion KRW) previously signed with the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency. If overseas approvals are obtained through listings such as the World Health Organization (WHO) Emergency Use Listing, exports abroad via the vaccine co-purchasing project ‘COVAX Facility’ are also anticipated.

However, concerns arise as vaccine demand is declining with COVID-19 transitioning from a pandemic to an endemic phase. SK Bioscience plans to respond by developing next-generation vaccines in various forms, including △‘multivalent vaccines’ that can respond to multiple variants △‘combo vaccines’ combining COVID-19 and influenza △‘universal vaccines’ effective against any variant △and nasal sprays as preventive and therapeutic agents.

President-elect Yoon Suk-yeol visited SK Bioscience headquarters in Seongnam, Gyeonggi Province, this morning to encourage the COVID-19 vaccine developers. SK Group Chairman Chey Tae-won welcomed President-elect Yoon.