SK bioscience announced on the 12th that it successfully completed the project as the only private corporation participating in the World Health Organization (WHO)-led "joint research for the establishment of international standard materials for SARS virus" in response to the global infectious disease crisis.
International standard materials are substances used as a standard to assess the quality, safety, and efficacy of vaccines. Previously, the WHO announced the international standard material for the SARS virus in October of last year. In the case of infectious diseases, it is difficult to verify the efficacy of vaccines and treatments without international standard materials.
SK bioscience conducted an immunogenicity analysis study. A total of 12 health authorities and organizations, including the WHO, the International Vaccine Institute (IVI), the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), the U.K. Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA), and the China National Institute for Food and Drug Control (NIFDC), participated in this project.
The newly announced SARS virus international standard material is expected to be essential for the vaccine and treatment development processes of research institutions worldwide.
SK bioscience also participated in the WHO-led research for the establishment of international standard materials for COVID-19 (SARS-CoV-2) in 2022. Park Yong-wook, head of the Bio Research Division at SK bioscience, said, "We will continue to work hard to secure technological capabilities for infectious disease response in collaboration with our global network."