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The South Korean company SK Bioscience appears poised to produce part of a COVID-19 vaccine currently under development in the UK for supplies around the world, including a portion to be supplied in South Korea.

On July 21, the South Korean Ministry of Health and Welfare (MOHW) announced the signing of a letter of intent (LOI) with SK Bioscience and the British pharmaceutical company AstraZeneca for cooperation on global supplies of a COVID-19 vaccine candidate and the securing of volumes for South Korea. AstraZeneca is currently working with the University of Oxford’s Jenner Institute to develop a vaccine for the novel coronavirus. The LOI signed by the three parties included terms concerning cooperation on fast and stable production and exportation for the sake of equitable global supplies of the vaccine; the improvement of production capabilities to respond to rising demand; and efforts to ensure supplies to South Korea.

MOHW described it as the “first example of a South Korean company being included as part of the global supply chain for an outstanding vaccine that is drawing global attention” and “international recognition of a South Korean company’s production capabilities.”

AZD1222, the COVID-19 vaccine candidate developed by AstraZeneca and the Jenner Institute, is seen having strong potential for successful development. In a report on Phase I clinical trials published recently in the medical journal The Lancet, they stated that neutralizing antibodies and T-cells had been formed in all 1,077 British adults aged 18 to 55 included in tests from Apr. 23 to May 21. Neutralizing antibodies prevent the virus from entering the body’s cells, while T-cells act to destroy cells that have already become infected. Since June, AstraZeneca and the Jenner Institute have been performing clinical trials involving long-term administration of the candidate vaccine to a large number of subjects in the UK, Brazil, and South Africa.

The South Korean government plans to engage in discussions to ensure that a portion of the vaccine volumes produced by SK Bioscience are supplied domestically. During the signing ceremony that day, Minister of Health and Welfare Park Neung-hoo said, “I take great pride in South Korean technology being able to participate in the production of a vaccine to be supplied around the world, and it is a great achievement to have established a domestic supply system ahead of time.”

He also said the South Korean government would “actively take part in joint efforts by the international community to ensure equitable distribution and access once a vaccine has been developed.”

By Choi Ha-yan and Choi Hyun-june, staff reporters

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