SK Bioscience (302440) has secured a European public vaccine project one year after acquiring German CDMO company IDT Biologika.
SK Bioscience announced on the 26th that it and IDT were selected for the first phase of a next-generation vaccine development initiative. The project is led by the Health and Digital Executive Agency (HaDEA) under the European Commission, commissioned by the Health Emergency Preparedness and Response Authority (HERA).
The two companies formed a three-party consortium with Australian vaccine platform company Vaxxas to develop microneedle patch vaccines for seasonal influenza in elderly populations and avian influenza for all age groups. This marks SK Bioscience's first contract with a European health authority-led project.
The project will proceed under the EU financial support framework. HaDEA will provide €12.9 million (approximately 22.2 billion won) for first-phase research including Phase 1 clinical trials. Funding could expand to up to €225 million (approximately 383.6 billion won) if the project advances to final stages including Phase 3 trials.
Within the consortium, IDT will serve as the European contract entity overseeing project management and handle bulk vaccine production during commercialization. SK Bioscience will supply bulk materials from its existing seasonal flu vaccine "SKYCellflu" and pandemic vaccines under development using cell culture technology, while supporting clinical development. Vaxxas will provide its HD-MAP (microneedle) patch technology that enables high immunogenicity and produce patches for clinical use.
The patch-type flu vaccine aims to achieve high immunogenicity, inducing strong immune responses with smaller antigen doses. Room-temperature storage and brief application time enhance vaccination convenience, creating competitive advantages for elderly populations and mass vaccination scenarios. According to Datamonitor, the seasonal flu vaccine market for elderly populations is valued at approximately $459 million (about 620 billion won) annually.
This contract is drawing industry attention as the first case of securing global funding through collaboration from the joint planning stage following the IDT acquisition. The company plans to expand participation in European public projects and pursue entry into major markets including Korea and the United States.
"After the IDT acquisition, the combined networks and technological capabilities of both companies have activated business synergies," said SK Bioscience President Ahn Jae-yong. "We will accelerate our proprietary vaccines' entry into Europe."