SK bioscience is joining hands with the Colombian government to build a local vaccine production base. By transferring its own developed vaccine technology to establish a local production system in Latin America, the company is expanding its business scope beyond simple vaccine exports to include technology transfer and the establishment of local production infrastructure.
SK bioscience said on the 26th that it signed an agreement with Colombia's state-run pharmaceutical company VECOL for vaccine technology transfer and local production cooperation.
The agreement is part of a national vaccine localization project led by the Colombian government.
The Ministry of Health and Social Protection of Colombia, the National Institute of Health (INS), and VECOL are jointly leading the project, with a total of $260 million (about 390 billion won) to be invested over the next 10 years. However, the $260 million represents the total size of the project led by the Colombian government, and the individual contract amount secured by SK bioscience was not disclosed.
In this project, SK bioscience will handle vaccine production technology transfer, the provision of local production know-how, and the establishment of a quality control system. VECOL will be responsible for establishing and operating production facilities, obtaining government approvals, and linking with the National Immunization Program (NIP).
The first technology transfer item is the varicella vaccine "SKYVaricella." SK bioscience said it plans to build a local production system based on this and then consider expanding the scope of cooperation to other vaccines.
If the Colombian government introduces other vaccines to be produced at the facility, SK bioscience will be able to participate first in business talks. This sets the stage for expanding cooperation into additional vaccine production projects in Latin America.
The Ministry of Health and Social Protection of Colombia decided to procure all 950,000 doses of varicella vaccine needed for this year's National Immunization Program (NIP) with SK bioscience's "SKYVaricella." In response, the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO) formally requested SK bioscience to supply the volume within this year, reflecting the Colombian government's demand. Of these, 600,000 doses have already been confirmed as final purchase orders, the company said.
Colombia is considered a key vaccine market in Latin America with a state-led immunization system. Since the COVID-19 pandemic, the importance of vaccine supply chain stability and health security has grown across Latin America, driving demand for building local production bases.
SK bioscience plans to use this cooperation as a springboard to expand technology transfer projects and secure production hubs in Latin America. The company aims to broaden cooperation with countries near Colombia and establish a "hub-based vaccine supply and production system."
Ahn Jae-yong, CEO of SK bioscience, said, "We are pleased to join the national project led by the Colombian government and VECOL to strengthen vaccine production capabilities," adding, "We will contribute to building a sustainable vaccine supply system based on our accumulated capabilities in vaccine development and production and our global cooperation experience."
Gina Tambini Gomez, Colombia representative of PAHO and WHO, said, "This cooperation is a meaningful step toward strengthening Colombia's health sovereignty and expanding vaccine production capacity in Latin America."
VECOL CEO Lucia Ayala also noted, "This will be a turning point that goes beyond simple technology transfer to strengthen national-level science and technology capabilities and the foundation for public health response."