CHA Vaccine Institute, a Korean research-oriented biotechnology firm, has developed a new vaccine adjuvant that can be applied to preventive and therapeutic vaccines against various infections and diseases.

During an interview with Maeil Business Newspaper last week, the company’s chief executive Yum Jung-sun said CHA Vaccine Institute is working on a `premium vaccine` based on its immune enhancement platform technology called L-pampo.

Adjuvants are substances that increase the immunogenicity of vaccine antigens. Unlike existing adjuvants, L-pampo is able to induce both humoral immune response such as antibodies and cellular immune response, which can kill viral antigens, Yum explained.

In April last year, CHA Vaccine Institute signed a technology transfer deal to apply its adjuvant technology to an investigational Covid-19 vaccine being developed by China’s CanSino Biologics. Last month CHA Vaccine Institute sealed a $200 million deal to license out its technology to Aston Science, a Korean pharmaceutical company.

CHA Vaccine is developing therapeutic vaccines based on its adjuvant technology. Its pipeline includes a hepatitis B treatment vaccine, which is in phase 2b clinical trial. This vaccine is designed to cure chronic hepatitis B by removing the virus, Yum said.

CHA Vaccine Institute is also cooperating with CanSino to develop a Covid-19 vaccine with a goal of entering a phase 1 trial within this year.

Yum said CHA Vaccine Institute will file a preliminary review application for initial public offering this month and complete necessary procedures as soon as possible to join the Kosdaq market within this year.

By Park Yoon-gyun and Minu Kim

[ⓒ Pulse by Maeil Business Newspaper & mk.co.kr, All rights reserved]