Once established, the newly expanded facility will be utilized to manufacture the 21-valent pneumococcal vaccine candidate GBP410 (also known as SP0202) that SK bioscience and Sanofi are developing. In June 2023, SK bioscience and Sanofi announced positive results from its Phase 2 clinical trials evaluating the safety and immunogenicity of GBP410 in infants. The two companies are currently preparing a global Phase 3 clinical trial and hope to obtain marketing authorization in 2027.

Jaeyong Ahn, CEO of SK Bioscience, said: “This expansion will serve as a cornerstone of our strategic entry into overseas markets for the core pipeline currently under development. In addition to the R&PD center to be established in 2025, we will grow as innovative leaders in the vaccine and bio industries with manufacturing facilities qualifying global standards.”

SK Bioscience announced that it plans to expand new manufacturing facilities to cGMP (Current Good Manufacturing Practice) level, US manufacturing and quality control standards.