The International Vaccine Institute (IVI) and South Korean company EuBiologics exchanged an MOU to cooperate in the clinical development of the COVID-19 vaccine the company is currently developing. The signing ceremony at IVI headquarters on 2 December 2020 was attended by Dr. Jerome Kim, Director General, and Dr. Manki Song, Deputy Director General of Science from IVI, co-CEO Dr. Yeong Ok Baik co-CEO Seuk-Keun Choi from EuBiologics.

EuBiologics is currently in the final phase of pre-clinical trial in an effort to develop a COVID-19 vaccine and is planning to apply for a Phase I/II IND clinicals in December. Under this MOU, IVI will assess the vaccine’s efficacy by analyzing the immunogenicity of EuBiologics’ COVID-19 vaccine as part of clinical development progress.

The COVID-19 vaccine being developed by EuBiologics uses two platform technologies: its own immunity enhancement technology (EuIMT) and the antigen display technology (Spontaneous nanoliposome antigen particleization: SNAP) of the US-based POP Biotech, which EuBiologics has an investment in. EuBiologics’ own COVID-19 vaccine uses protein subunit (synthetic antigen) technique, which is the same method as that used by Sanofi and NovaVax, and SK bioscience in Korea. The protein subunit method is relatively competitive in safety, cold chain, and price when compared with other COVID-19 vaccines in development, and there are already a number of subunit vaccines that are commercially available for various infectious diseases.

EuBiologics said, “We have introduced oral cholera vaccine technology from IVI, and the experience of successfully commercializing the OCV, now accounting for 80-90% of the global supply of low-cost OCV. In collaboration with IVI in a COVID-19 vaccine, we aim to generate a success story in vaccine development once more.”

Image Caption: From left: IVI Deputy Director General of Science Dr. Manki Song, EuBiologics co-CEO Dr. Yeong Ok Baik, IVI Director General Dr. Jerome Kim, and EuBiologics co-CEO Dr. Seuk-keun Choi