SAUDI ARABIA – South Korean vaccine maker SK Bioscience has introduced a new global partnership model for pandemic preparedness and response during the Riyadh Global Medical Biotechnology Summit 2023 (RGBMS 2023) held in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA).
During the RGBMS 2023, SK Bioscience announced its partnership model titled ‘Preparing for Next Pandemic through Global Partnership’ aimed at promoting public health in developing countries.
SK Bioscience’s partnership model involves both stably supplying necessary vaccines in the KSA region during normal times and quickly switching to an emergency vaccine manufacturing system during the pandemic period.
The new global partnership model aligns with SK Bioscience’s glocalization project based on its vaccine R&D and manufacturing capabilities that can be transferred to the Middle East in the future.
In a press release, the biopharmaceutical company said: “SK Bioscience plans to contribute to resolving the inequitable access of vaccines in low- and middle-income countries with lack of infrastructure.”
The partnership model for public health will also create social and economic values by pioneering new markets for self-developed vaccines.
Mr. Jaeyong Ahn, Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of SK Bioscience, said: “A bilateral partnership can be established if the country in need is willing to provide funds, human resources, and overall environments with the collaboration of global initiatives.”
He underscored the successful development history of Korea’s first COVID-19 vaccine and the importance of global cooperation focused on global health security.
“SK Bioscience can transplant vaccine manufacturing facilities, technologies, and products to any countries in need based on the accumulated experiences in R&D and manufacturing we have been building,” he noted.
In addition, Mr. Ahn pointed out that the partnership model for pandemic preparedness is only viable once critical manufacturing facilities and technologies are transferred to countries where insufficient infrastructure still exists.
He explained that the region-based vaccine development technologies and manufacturing facilities established together with SK Bioscience would help the growth of the bio-industry in the beneficiary country in the mid-and long-term.
In addition, it will complete the country’s value chain with the ability to commercialize its own vaccines, ultimately contributing to the health security of neighbouring regions beyond the national level.
He stressed that it is a time to think about the self-sufficiency of vaccines in terms of national security while noting that the pandemic has resulted in human and economic loss felt all around the world.
“Above all else, the cooperation model we propose requires strong will and dedication from governments in each country and is only achievable when there is reasonable compensation for participating initiatives,” Mr. Ahn added.
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