SK bioscience, a global innovative vaccine and biotech company committed to promoting human health from prevention to cure, today announced that the company has secured a large-scale commercial production facility which will support entry into the global pneumococcal vaccine market.

SK bioscience held a mechanical completion ceremony to mark the expansion of its vaccine manufacturing plant, L HOUSE in Andong, South Korea, on June 27. The expanded facility will serve as a production site for GBP410, a 21-valent pneumococcal conjugate vaccine (PCV21) candidate jointly developed with global pharmaceutical company Sanofi.

Sanofi’s key executives from France and the United States, including Thomas Triomphe, Executive Vice President of Vaccines, joined the event to celebrate and reaffirm the companies’ long-standing collaboration.

Both companies viewed the facility expansion as a milestone achievement and a tangible outcome of their strategic partnership, far more than just an infrastructure project. With a shared goal of ensuring a successful global launch of GBP410, they committed to accelerating their joint efforts to establish a strong presence in the global pneumococcal vaccine market.

Thomas Triomphe stated in his congratulatory remarks, “Following the start of our PCV21 Phase 3 program, the completion of this facility marks another important milestone in our collaboration with SK bioscience. I want to thank our combined teams for their dedication and hard work to make this achievement possible. Together, we are taking significant steps to make a meaningful impact in the fight against pneumococcal disease.”

Jaeyong Ahn, CEO of SK bioscience, said, “Today’s ceremony is not just a celebration of the facility’s completion. It’s a celebration of the trust and cooperation we have built with Sanofi over the past 11 years. With our strong partnership, we will push forward toward our global ambitions under the motor of ‘One Team, One Goal’.”

With this expansion, SK bioscience has extended the existing L HOUSE building, adding approximately 4,200 m² of new space. The expanded site will serve as the production base for GBP410, with plans to secure U.S. FDA cGMP certification.

GBP410, the 21-valent pneumococcal vaccine co-developed with Sanofi, entered global Phase 3 studies in more than 7,700 healthy infants to adolescents from 6 weeks old up to 17 years across Australia, the U.S., and Korea. It is the first PCV candidate with more than 20 serotypes to enter phase 3 trials in infants and toddlers and is expected to make a significant contribution to reducing cases of invasive pneumococcal disease (IPD), which remains a serious health concern in this age group.

According to the World Health Organization (WHO), approximately 300,000 children under the age of five worldwide die every year due to Streptococcus pneumoniae which is the leading cause of vaccine-preventable fatalities in this age group. This underscores the critical need for pneumococcal vaccines like GBP410.

By combining SK bioscience’s advanced R&D and manufacturing capacity and Sanofi’s expertise in developing and bringing innovative vaccines, both companies aim to achieve rapid market share expansion worldwide.