SK Bioscience signs deal with PAHO for its chicken pox vaccine

SKY Varicella, SK Bioscience's varicella vaccine [SK BIOSCIENCE]

SK Bioscience signed a $31.3 million varicella vaccine deal with the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO), the company said Monday.

Under the deal, SK will supply its varicella, commonly known as chicken pox, vaccine, called SKY Varicella, to Latin American countries.

It is the first time the vaccine maker won a deal from PAHO, an international health agency for the Americas under the United Nations.

In order to become a supplier to international organizations like PAHO, the product must earn prequalification from the World Health Organization. SK’s varicella vaccine received the WHO prequalification in 2019, the second in the world to do so.

SKY Varicella vaccines have been exported to various countries across the globe including Thailand and Turkey. Global clinical trials already proved the vaccine’s efficacy and immunogenicity on varicella patients aged between 12 months and 12 years old.

The size of the global varicella vaccine market, which was about $2.7 billion in 2018, is estimated to grow to $4.2 billion in 2026, according to data by market tracker Allied Market Research.

SK Bioscience is also developing its own Covid-19 vaccine. The candidate, GBP510, is undergoing Phase 3 clinical trials globally and commercialization is expected as early as in the first half of this year.

“The latest deal with PAHO is meaningful in that it itself proves the competitiveness of vaccines developed by SK Bioscience,” said Ahn Jae-yong, CEO of SK Bioscience. “Our technologies have been recognized globally, and using them, we will grow as a company that leads the global vaccine industry.”

BY SARAH CHEA [chea.sarah@joongang.co.kr]