'With Domestic Vaccines, Reducing Shots for Children' LG Chem Accelerates Infant Vaccine Development

LG Chem is accelerating the development of a 6-in-1 combination vaccine for infants, which currently relies entirely on imports.

On the 13th, LG Chem announced that it is preparing to recruit subjects for overseas Phase 2 clinical trials of the 6-in-1 combination vaccine LR20062, based on acellular pertussis (aP). Following the start of Phase 1 clinical trials in August last year and their completion in the first half of this year, the company is quickly moving into Phase 2 trials, intensifying efforts to commercialize a domestically produced combination vaccine.

LR20062 is a DTaP-IPV-HepB-Hib vaccine that prevents six infectious diseases: diphtheria (D), tetanus (T), pertussis (aP), poliomyelitis (IPV), hepatitis B (HepB), and Haemophilus influenzae type b (Hib, a major cause of meningitis). Compared to the current method in South Korea, where a 5-in-1 vaccine (DTaP-IPV/Hib) is provided free of charge through the National Immunization Program (NIP) and hepatitis B vaccine is administered separately, LR20062 reduces the number of vaccinations for children from six to four, thereby lessening the burden on infants.

Currently, the 5-in-1 vaccine is administered at 2, 4, and 6 months of age, and the hepatitis B vaccine is given immediately after birth, at 1 month, and at 6 months, totaling six doses. However, with the 6-in-1 vaccine, infants would receive doses at 2, 4, and 6 months, with only one hepatitis B vaccine dose immediately after birth, making a total of four vaccinations. Although one type of 6-in-1 combination vaccine is already distributed domestically, it is not yet included in the free vaccination program under the national immunization schedule.

In the earlier Phase 1 clinical trial conducted on healthy adults, all subjects showed a vaccine response. Immunogenicity indicators, which represent the vaccine’s protective ability, showed seroprotection and seroconversion rates above 90%, comparable to those of the existing commercial 6-in-1 vaccine used as a control. Safety indicators were also favorable and similar to the control group.

In the upcoming Phase 2 clinical trial, approximately 300 infants aged 2 months or older, the actual target group for vaccination, will be recruited as subjects to compare and evaluate the safety and immunogenicity of LR20062 against the existing commercial 6-in-1 vaccine.

Through this vaccine development, LG Chem aims to play a stable supply chain role in the domestic preventive vaccine environment, which currently depends on imports, to meet mid- to long-term demand. The company plans to invest about 200 billion KRW in research and development (R&D) and facility construction for this purpose.

Son Ji-woong, head of LG Chem’s Life Sciences Business Division, said, “Internalizing the manufacturing technology for all six antigen bulk substances will be a very important milestone not only for the company but also for establishing national vaccine sovereignty.” He added, “We will promptly commercialize a convenient, domestically produced combination vaccine so that caregivers can reliably vaccinate their children.”