Cell-cultured Vaccine

 

The Ministry of Food and Drug Safety has approved Korea's first cell-cultured influenza prevention vaccine, “skyCellflu,” developed by SK Chemicals.

It is the world's third cell-cultured influenza vaccine that will be commercialized following those from global pharmaceutical firms like Novartis and Voxter.

The cell-cultured method refers to technology that cultivates viruses in animal cells and manufactures vaccines by using them instead of the conventional fertile chicken egg culture method.

If there is an emergency, initial vaccines can be provided to the public just two months after the production begins. When swine flu became a pandemic in 2009, its vaccines became available five months after the World Health Organization (WHO) distributed a seed strain to Korea. Comparing the length of the production period, a cell-cultured manufacturing method cuts down the time required by over half.

The government has recently established a new enterprise called “The Transgovernmental Enterprise for Pandemic Influenza in Korea,” or TEPIK. It supports a range of innovative influenza research and development of vaccines to brace for possible emergency situations such as a pandemic of mutated viruses. Also, the government selected SK Chemicals as a partner company.

The cell-cultured influenza vaccine “skyCellflu” is more meaningful for SK Chemicals as the first complete product manufactured in the “L House,” its vaccine factory with cutting edge facilities located in Andong, North Gyeongsang Province.

Until now, 300 billion won (US$272.93 million) has been spent on the L-House, and it is the plant of the core business for a next-generation source of income. The factory has facilities to produce high-quality vaccines including pneumococcus and shingles vaccines, which until now, only multinational pharmaceutical companies have manufactured.

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