SK bioscience announced that it has signed an agreement with Colombia’s state-owned pharmaceutical company VECOL for vaccine technology transfer and local manufacturing cooperation as part of Colombia’s national vaccine localization initiative.

The initiative is jointly led by Colombia’s Ministry of Health and Social Protection, the National Health Institute (Instituto Nacional de Salud, INS), and VECOL, with the goal of strengthening national vaccine self-sufficiency and public health preparedness. The project represents a major government-led initiative with a total investment of approximately US$260 million over the next 10 years.

Under the framework, VECOL has been designated by the Colombian government as the lead implementing entity responsible for overall project execution, while SK bioscience will participate as the vaccine technology transfer and local manufacturing partner.

Prior to selecting SK bioscience, the Colombian government conducted a review process over approximately four years, evaluating multiple global vaccine manufacturers with experience in supplying WHO prequalified (PQ) vaccines. The assessment considered technological expertise, regulatory standards, quality competitiveness, collaboration capabilities, and long-term strategic alignment.

Based on this review, SK bioscience was selected as the strategic partner for the project in recognition of its global vaccine manufacturing capabilities, WHO PQ-certified vaccine portfolio, international public procurement supply experience, and commitment to supporting long-term vaccine capacity building initiatives.

Under the agreement, SK bioscience will provide technology and know-how required for manufacturing facility development in Colombia, product introduction, regulatory approval, and production operations. VECOL will oversee facility establishment and operation, government licensing, linkage to the National Immunization Program (NIP), and coordination with public health authorities.

SKYVaricella, SK bioscience’s proprietary varicella vaccine, has been selected as the initial product for technology transfer. Based on SKYVaricella, SK bioscience plans to establish a local manufacturing and technology transfer system while exploring opportunities to expand cooperation into additional vaccine products in the future.

In addition, SK bioscience will secure preferential negotiation rights for vaccines to be introduced through the facility, including not only its own proprietary vaccines but also broader vaccine products that may be adopted by the Colombian government in the future.

Colombia is one of the key vaccine markets in Latin America, supported by a government-led national immunization system. Following the pandemic, demand for local vaccine manufacturing capabilities and technology partnerships has grown rapidly as vaccine supply chain resilience and public health security have become increasingly important.

The vaccine localization project being advanced by the Colombian government and SK bioscience is expected to contribute not only to strengthening Colombia’s domestic vaccine manufacturing capabilities, but also to establishing a more stable vaccine supply foundation across Latin America.

SK bioscience plans to utilize this partnership as a strategic foothold for expanding regional manufacturing and technology transfer initiatives across Latin America, with the long-term goal of establishing an integrated regional vaccine production and supply network.

Colombia’s Ministry of Health and Social Protection highlighted that the agreement between VECOL and SK bioscience marks a strategic milestone in the country’s efforts to strengthen national health sovereignty. The ministry emphasized that the collaboration goes beyond vaccine production, reflecting Colombia’s broader commitment to rebuilding domestic scientific, technological, and industrial capabilities to better respond to current and future public health challenges with greater autonomy. It also noted that through technology transfer, specialized workforce development, and the establishment of world-class infrastructure, the partnership is expected to strengthen Colombia’s research, innovation, and local manufacturing capacity for strategic health technologies, while reducing external dependencies and creating sustainable long-term benefits for the country.

Gina Tambini Gomez, PAHO/WHO Representative in Colombia, said, “We recognize Colombia’s decision to advance toward health sovereignty through the signing of the agreement between VECOL and SK bioscience. This step contributes to the commitment adopted by the Member States of the Americas to strengthen regional production capacities for health technologies. PAHO also continues to support these efforts through initiatives aimed at strengthening regional innovation and manufacturing platforms, enhancing regulatory systems, and expanding joint procurement mechanisms across the region.”

Lucia Ayala, President of VECOL, said, “This agreement represents a transformative step for the country and for strengthening our scientific and technological capabilities. Beyond biotechnology transfer, we are building knowledge, developing capabilities, and laying the foundation for Colombia to move forward with a long-term vision toward recovering strategic capacities in public health and health sovereignty.”

Jaeyong Ahn, President and CEO of SK bioscience, said, “We are honored to participate in this national initiative led by the Colombian government and VECOL to strengthen vaccine manufacturing capabilities. Leveraging SK bioscience’s accumulated expertise in vaccine development and manufacturing, as well as our global partnership experience, we will continue striving to contribute to future pandemic preparedness and the establishment of a sustainable vaccine supply foundation in Latin America and beyond.”

SK bioscience has steadily built trust in the Latin American market since winning its first PAHO varicella vaccine tender in 2022. Last year, its PAHO supply contract for varicella vaccine was extended through 2027, once again demonstrating the product’s competitiveness. SKYVaricella became the world’s second varicella vaccine to obtain WHO PQ (Prequalification) certification in 2019.

Including the Colombia initiative, SK bioscience continues to accelerate its “Glocalization” strategy by combining global vaccine development and manufacturing expertise with localized production partnerships tailored to regional public health needs.

The company is also pursuing vaccine technology transfer and local manufacturing cooperation in countries such as Thailand, accelerating the development of regional production hubs and integrated global vaccine business models.