SK bioscience applies for emergency Covid-19 vaccine approval

A bird's-eye view of SK bioscience's vaccine facility in Songdo, Incheon [SK BIOSCIENCE]

SK bioscience has applied for emergency use approval for Novavax’s updated Covid-19 vaccine.

SK bioscience is the local distributor of the NVX-CoV2601 vaccine developed by Novavax, exclusively in Korea and non-exclusively in Thailand and Vietnam.

The Seongnam, Gyeonggi-based company said Friday that it submitted an application for emergency use of the updated vaccine to the Korean Ministry of Food and Drug Safety. Upon authorization, SK bioscience will supply the updated Novavax Covid-19 vaccine in Korea during the 2023-2024 winter season.

The protein-based non-mRNA vaccine is the third updated Covid vaccine to be authorized in the United States against the Omicron variant.

SK bioscience made an equity investment in Novavax to become the third-biggest shareholder of the U.S. company in August.

BY SHIN HA-NEE [shin.hanee@joongang.co.kr]