GC Biopharma said on the 13th that it signed a contract to secure contract manufacturing organization (CMO) rights for the shingles vaccine "amezosvatein" with its U.S. affiliate Curevo Vaccine. Under the contract, GC Biopharma will produce part of amezosvatein's commercial supply.
The global shingles vaccine market is currently led by the United Kingdom's GlaxoSmithKline (GSK) with "Shingrix." The market, which was about 1 trillion won in 2017, has grown about 20% annually since Shingrix's launch and expanded to 6 trillion won in 2024. Shingrix surpassed 5 trillion won in global sales last year and holds more than 90% of the total market.
Curevo is developing amezosvatein with the goal of securing a double-digit share in the global market. Like Shingrix, it is a recombinant protein vaccine that includes an adjuvant, and by using a synthetic adjuvant, pain at the injection site and systemic reactions are expected to remain at levels typical of standard vaccines. The company is emphasizing this as a differentiated strength in terms of tolerability.
In fact, in an initial phase 2 trial, amezosvatein demonstrated non-inferiority to a competing drug and showed positive results for tolerability. Curevo is currently conducting an expanded phase 2 trial of amezosvatein in 640 adults aged 50 and older, and plans to complete the study by 2026, then move directly into phase 3 to finalize commercialization plans.
Heo Eun-cheol, chief executive of GC Biopharma, said, "This contract is an important milestone in securing GC Biopharma's mid- to long-term growth engine," adding, "We will continue to expand our global vaccine business."