By Diplomacy Journal Lee Kap-soo

SK bioscience has successfully completed a project as the only private company participating in a joint study organized by the World Health Organization (WHO) aimed at establishing an international standard for the SARS virus, in response to the global infectious disease crisis, the company said on Feb. 12.

In October of last year, the WHO announced the international standard for the SARS virus, with SK bioscience playing a key role in conducting immunogenicity analysis during this process.

The project involved 12 health authorities and institutions leading global health security efforts, including the WHO, SK bioscience, the International Vaccine Institute (IVI), the U.S. FDA, the UK MHRA, and the China NIFDC.

International standards are substances used as benchmarks to compare and evaluate the quality, safety, and efficacy of vaccines. In the absence of such standards for infectious diseases, it is challenging to validate the effectiveness of vaccines and treatments. The recently announced SARS virus international standard is expected to be an essential tool for research institutions worldwide in the development of vaccines and therapies.

In 2022, SK bioscience also participated in a study organized by the WHO to establish an international standard for COVID-19 (SARS-CoV-2).

In light of the global health situation, which faces threats from emerging infectious diseases and the potential resurgence of existing ones, the collaborative research between SK bioscience and the WHO is recognized as a significant example of the value of innovative research and technological advancements for improving human health.

“I am pleased to contribute to global health through this WHO project and to have our technological capabilities acknowledged," said Yong-wook Park, Head of Bio Research Division at SK bioscience. "We will continue to strive to enhance our infectious disease response capabilities in collaboration with our global network.”

SK bioscience is also working with the Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations (CEPI) on a "100-Day Mission," a project aimed at preparing for the next pandemic. As part of this initiative, they are developing an mRNA vaccine platform and have recently received approval for the clinical trial plan of their Japanese encephalitis vaccine candidate, GBP560, among various other research and development projects.