SK bioscience has reinforced its role as a core partner in global pandemic preparedness by reviewing international cooperation frameworks together with the Korean government and leading global health organizations.

SK bioscience announced on the 5th that it participated as a key private-sector partner in the “Korean 100 Days Mission” tabletop exercise, hosted by the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency (KDCA). The exercise brought together major stakeholders including the Ministry of Food and Drug Safety (MFDS), the Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations (CEPI), and the International Vaccine Institute (IVI).

The tabletop exercise was designed to simulate the full response cycle to a novel infectious disease outbreak from early detection and decision-making to vaccine development and supply. Participants reviewed real-world decision-making structures and public-private collaboration mechanisms under pandemic scenarios, comprehensively assessing Korea’s national pandemic response strategy and its public-private partnership framework.

More than 100 global health security experts attended the exercise, including CEPI CEO Dr. Richard Hatchett, as well as representatives from KDCA, MFDS, and IVI. Discussions focused on practical collaboration pathways to achieve the “100 Days Mission,” a global health security initiative aimed at developing and deploying critical countermeasures, such as vaccines, within 100 days of the emergence of a new pathogen to minimize health, social, and economic impacts.

SK bioscience has built extensive experience in next-generation vaccine development and large-scale manufacturing through collaboration with CEPI, the Gates Foundation, and other global partners during the COVID-19 pandemic. In particular, the successful development and supply of its COVID-19 vaccine, SKYCovione™, demonstrated an effective public-private-international partnership model, providing a strong foundation for further strengthening global pandemic preparedness.

The company is also accelerating efforts to enhance its internal capabilities for future pandemics. These include the development of broadly protective coronavirus vaccines, the expansion of mRNA vaccine platform capabilities proven during the COVID-19 response, and the development of vaccines targeting avian influenza?widely regarded as a leading candidate for the next pandemic?to strengthen proactive preparedness against high-risk pathogens.

Ahn Jae-yong, CEO of SK bioscience, said, “Effective pandemic preparedness requires a balance between international cooperation and strong in-house capabilities. Building on our collaboration with governments and global partners, as well as our advanced vaccine R&D and manufacturing expertise, we will remain fully prepared to make meaningful contributions in the next pandemic.”