GC Green Cross Unveils mRNA Vaccine Strategy at Global Vaccine Forum

GC Green Cross announced on June 20 that it had presented its "mRNA (messenger ribonucleic acid) vaccine development strategy" at the Global Vaccine Forum held at the Four Seasons Hotel in Jongno-gu, Seoul, on June 19.

Shin Yoonchul, head of the development team at GC Green Cross, is explaining the mRNA vaccine strategy at the Global Vaccine Forum held at the Four Seasons Hotel in Jongno-gu, Seoul. Photo by GC Green Cross

This forum was co-hosted by the International Vaccine Institute (IVI) and EuBiologics, and the theme was "The Present and Future of mRNA and Next-Generation Vaccine Platform Technologies."

Since 2019, GC Green Cross has been intensifying its research on the mRNA/LNP (lipid nanoparticle) platform, building an "end-to-end" process in-house that covers everything from cell line development, mRNA synthesis, and LNP formulation to finished product manufacturing and quality analysis. Among domestic companies, GC Green Cross is the first to internalize the entire process for mRNA pharmaceuticals. In particular, the company is using its own AI technology during the development stage to optimize both mRNA and LNP structures.

The company explained that it has significantly increased expression rates through AI-based mRNA structural design. Higher expression rates allow for reduced drug dosages, which helps decrease toxicity and improve safety. GC Green Cross stated that its COVID-19 mRNA vaccine candidate has demonstrated preclinical results showing that it induces an immune response similar to existing products even at relatively low concentrations.

GC Green Cross plans to submit an Investigational New Drug (IND) application for a Phase 1 clinical trial of its COVID-19 mRNA vaccine pipeline within this year. As the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency has declared the goal of domestic mRNA vaccine production by 2028, the company is expected to accelerate its development efforts.

Shin Yoonchul, head of the development team at GC Green Cross, who gave the presentation, said, "GC Green Cross is ready to lead the localization of next-generation vaccine technologies at a global level, going beyond the traditional vaccine sector." He added, "We plan to broadly apply mRNA/LNP technology not only to infectious disease prevention but also to the development of various therapeutics." He continued, "Based on the clinical entry of our COVID-19 vaccine, GC Green Cross will be able to respond quickly to the next pandemic."