SK Bioscience to manufacture Novavax's coronavirus vaccine candidate

SEOUL, Aug. 13 (Yonhap) -- SK Bioscience Co., a vaccine unit of South Korea's SK Group, said Thursday that it has secured a deal to manufacture a component of the U.S.-based biotechnology company Novavax Inc.'s experimental coronavirus vaccine.

Under the agreement, SK Bioscience will manufacture the antigen component of NVX-CoV2373, Novavax's COVID-19 vaccine candidate, for supply to the global market.

"SK's accumulated vaccine R&D and production capability have been spotlighted by the world's most advanced global pharmaceutical companies, as well as the global initiatives for the COVID-19 vaccine manufacturing," Ahn Jae-yong, CEO of SK bioscience, said in a press release.

NVX-CoV2373 was developed using Novavax's recombinant nanoparticle technology to generate a stable antigen derived from the coronavirus spike protein.

SK Bioscience will begin production of the NVX-CoV2373 antigen at its vaccine facility in the country beginning later this month.

The companies also agreed to cooperate with South Korea's Ministry of Health and Welfare to make the vaccine available in the country.

khj@yna.co.kr
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