en.Wedoany.com Reported - SK bioscience has initiated process development for an injectable rotavirus vaccine candidate. The company is advancing the project after obtaining a licensing agreement from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), with plans to proceed to clinical trials, regulatory approval, and ultimately commercialization following successful process development.
SK bioscience has become the first Korean company to license vaccine technology from the CDC. The CDC previously developed injectable inactivated rotavirus vaccine technology and funded a Phase I clinical trial. SK bioscience plans to rapidly implement the technology in South Korea, establishing a production process that balances vaccine efficacy with cost optimization, and advancing clinical development and commercialization.
The project has also received support from the Global Health Technology Research Investment Foundation (RIGHT Foundation). SK bioscience signed a rotavirus vaccine process development funding agreement with the RIGHT Foundation in June 2025. The RIGHT Foundation is South Korea's first non-profit international public-private partnership funding organization, established through a tripartite collaboration between the Korean government, the Gates Foundation, and Korean life science companies, supporting infectious disease prevention and control research and development in low- and middle-income countries through official development assistance.
Rotavirus is a major infectious disease causing severe diarrhea and dehydration in children under five worldwide. According to data from Johns Hopkins University, approximately 24.4% of child deaths are attributed to diarrhea caused by rotavirus infection. Globally, 99% of rotavirus-related deaths are concentrated in low- and middle-income countries. The introduction of oral rotavirus vaccines has significantly reduced infection rates in high-income countries, with vaccine effectiveness exceeding 85%. However, in low- and middle-income countries, effectiveness falls below 50% due to differences in environmental conditions and nutritional status, leading to the belief that injectable vaccines may offer stronger protection.
According to a report by Business Research Insights, the global rotavirus vaccine market is expected to grow from $8.12 billion in 2024 to $13.9 billion by 2033, with a compound annual growth rate of 6.2%. A 2024 report from the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) shows that between 2011 and 2023, the organization procured 329 million courses (each course consisting of 2-3 doses) of rotavirus vaccines, with the majority supplied to Gavi-supported low-income countries. Procurement volumes increased from 900,000 courses in 2011 to 57 million courses in 2023, covering 57 countries. Demand in Gavi-supported countries is expected to reach approximately 64 million courses by 2028.
SK bioscience CEO Jaeyong Ahn stated that collaborating with the CDC to develop a rotavirus vaccine helps promote global public health, and that the company will continue developing innovative vaccines with the support of the RIGHT Foundation to improve children's health in low- and middle-income countries, fulfilling its responsibility to create a healthier future for people worldwide.
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