SK bioscience Signs Contract Manufacturing Agreement with MSD and Subsidiary IDT Biologika for Ebola Vaccine

SK bioscience is significantly strengthening production cooperation with its subsidiary IDT Biologika as part of the Ebola vaccine development project it is conducting with global pharmaceutical company MSD. The strategic integration between the two companies, continued since the acquisition of IDT, is serving as a key driver accelerating the success of global infectious disease response projects.

On the 23rd, SK bioscience announced that it has signed a finished-dose contract development and manufacturing cooperation agreement with IDT Biologika related to the development of a second-generation Zaire Ebola vaccine being advanced with MSD and Hilleman Laboratories. This agreement is the formal follow-up step taken after the Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations (CEPI) announced in January approximately $30 million in development funding for the project.

The newly developed second-generation Zaire Ebola vaccine focuses on addressing the manufacturing process complexity and the burden of ultra-cold chain distribution associated with existing products. The core objectives are to increase manufacturing yields and significantly improve thermal stability to strengthen supply reliability and healthcare access. To this end, SK bioscience will produce the Ebola vaccine bulk in-house, while IDT Biologika will take charge of finished-product development and manufacturing using its contract development and manufacturing (CDMO) expertise and state-of-the-art facilities.

The Zaire Ebola virus is a deadly, high-risk pathogen with a survival rate of only about 50% when infection occurs. There have been persistent reports of resurgences in parts of Africa, such as the Democratic Republic of the Congo, raising alarm in the international community. In regions with severely limited medical infrastructure, rapid response is especially difficult, and vulnerable groups such as women and children suffer serious harm; therefore, stable vaccine supply is also urgently needed from a humanitarian perspective.

This contract manufacturing agreement is a continuation of the organic integration that has been proceeding step by step since SK bioscience's acquisition of IDT. Last year, SK bioscience implemented intensive production efficiency measures and cost-structure improvements, successfully turning IDT's performance to profitability. Then, last month, it won, together with IDT, a Phase 1 project under the Next-Generation Vaccine Development Initiative overseen by the Health and Digital Executive Agency of the European Commission. That project aims to develop patch-based vaccines for high-immunogenicity seasonal influenza in the elderly and for pandemic avian influenza response.

Sally Choi, CEO of IDT Biologika, emphasized that this collaboration reflects a shared goal of building a solid partnership with SK bioscience and an integrated global manufacturing network. She added that by combining the strengths of both companies, they expect to reliably supply high-quality vaccines and contribute to global public health responses.

Park Jin-sun, Chief Operating Officer (COO) of SK bioscience, also said this agreement will be an important foundation for linking the development and manufacturing capabilities of both companies to enhance the execution of global infectious disease response projects. He expressed a commitment to continuously advance the integrated manufacturing platform to further strengthen the system for reliably meeting international public health needs.

Meanwhile, in addition to its Ebola vaccine development collaboration with MSD, SK bioscience is smoothly advancing global Phase 3 clinical trials of a 21-valent pneumococcal conjugate protein vaccine with Sanofi. It is also continuing pandemic-response collaborations with CEPI and the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency, and is continuously strengthening its global cooperation network by expanding pipelines including an RSV preventive antibody therapeutic and a universal COVID vaccine.