As the Ebola virus that began in the Democratic Republic of the Congo spreads to parts of Africa, SK bioscience(302440), with support from the U.S. government, will join global partners to develop and produce a vaccine.
SK bioscience said on the 29th it will take part in a vaccine development project supported by the Biomedical Advanced Research and Development Authority (BARDA) under the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) together with the global nonprofit biomedical research organization International AIDS Vaccine Initiative (IAVI) and the Hilleman Institute.
BARDA will provide up to $99 million (about 131 billion won) for the project. Of that, the initial funding is $36 million (about 47.7 billion won). The funding will be used for clinical trials including Phase 1, regulatory procedures, and building vaccine manufacturing and supply systems.
Bundibugyo ebolavirus (BDBV) has recently spread mainly in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, but there is still no dedicated vaccine or treatment. The participating institutions plan to develop a vaccine that induces an immune response with a single dose and to establish a system that can supply it quickly during an outbreak.
By institution, IAVI will oversee clinical development and engagement with regulators, while the Hilleman Institute will handle manufacturing of vaccine for early clinical trials and technology transfer. SK bioscience will be responsible for scaling up processes and mass production. Its German subsidiary, the contract development and manufacturing organization (CDMO) IDT Biologika, will handle everything from aseptic fill to finished goods production.
The project expands on vaccine development supported by the Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations (CEPI). In June, CEPI said it would provide up to $62 million (about 94.2 billion won) to develop a BDBV vaccine candidate with Moderna, IAVI, and the University of Oxford.
An Jae-yong, CEO of SK bioscience, said, "Participation in this project is a result that recognizes the combined capabilities of SK bioscience and IDT in the global market," adding, "We will work with global partners to develop the vaccine quickly and build a stable supply chain."