GC Biopharma said on the 2nd that the company's varicella vaccine strain "MAV/06" has been listed in the World Health Organization (WHO) Position Paper.
The Position Paper is WHO's most authoritative guidance document that sets global public health policy and vaccination recommendations. It is published after review by the WHO Strategic Advisory Group of Experts on Immunization (SAGE).
The company said, "With this listing, GC Biopharma's MAV/06-based varicella vaccine 'Varicella (Varicella Injection)' has received an international evaluation on par with OKA strain-based global varicella vaccines supplied by multinational pharmaceutical companies."
In this document, WHO also officially recognized cross-prescribing between MAV/06-based vaccines and OKA-based vaccines. For two-dose varicella vaccination, one dose each of Varicella and a global vaccine can be used together.
GC Biopharma said it expects its position in the global procurement market operated by the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO) to grow further on the back of this international standing.
Lee Jae-woo, head of development at GC Biopharma, said, "This listing is a meaningful milestone for stabilizing the global supply of varicella vaccines," adding, "Based on GC Biopharma's ample production capacity, we will strengthen a supply system that meets global demand."