CreoSG Finalizes Patent Registration for SUV-MAP-Based MERS Vaccine

On September 1, CreoSG, a bio new drug development company, announced that it has filed a patent for its Middle East Respiratory Syndrome (MERS) coronavirus vaccine based on its proprietary universal vaccine development platform, SUV-MAP, and that the registration has been finalized.

This MERS vaccine was jointly developed with the International Vaccine Institute. It utilizes CreoSG’s recombinant vesicular stomatitis virus (VSV) vector-based vaccine development platform, SUV-MAP, incorporating the spike gene-a key protein for MERS virus infection-so that it is highly expressed. The company explained that this approach induces a strong immune response and demonstrates excellent protection against viral infection.

The MERS coronavirus (MERS-CoV) has an incubation period of 2 to 14 days and can cause severe respiratory illnesses such as high fever, cough, shortness of breath, and pneumonia, as well as gastrointestinal symptoms or complications like acute renal failure. Its fatality rate is approximately 20 to 40 percent, making it a serious virus.

First reported in Saudi Arabia in 2012, it spread mainly throughout the Middle East, and was transmitted to Europe and Asia through travelers. In Korea, a large-scale outbreak occurred in 2015, with 186 confirmed cases and 38 deaths. MERS is a zoonotic infection transmitted from dromedary camels to humans, and is characterized by rapid spread among healthcare workers, family members, and close contacts within hospitals.

Due to its high fatality rate and potential for global transmission, the importance of health security through MERS vaccine development has long been recognized. The registration of CreoSG’s MERS vaccine patent represents a meaningful advancement in responding to public health crises.

A CreoSG official stated, “The original technology related to SUV-MAP was registered as a patent by the European Patent Office (EPO) in October last year, and the SUV-MAP-based Zika virus vaccine patent was registered domestically in March. The registration of the MERS patent once again demonstrates the technological innovation of the SUV-MAP platform.”

The official added, “Based on this patent registration, we plan to accelerate preclinical and clinical development of the MERS vaccine, actively pursue overseas technology exports, and further strengthen our pipeline of vaccines for infectious diseases using the SUV-MAP platform.”