U.S.-based Inovio Pharmaceuticals filed a lawsuit against VGXI, a U.S. subsidiary of South Korea-based GeneOne Life Science, demanding key information required for the planned large-scale manufacture of the company’s COVID-19 vaccine candidate.

According to GeneOne on Thursday, Inovio filed the complaint with a Pennsylvanian court after VGXI refused its request to provide the necessary technology transfer.

VGXI, which has partnered with Inovio for the latter’s research of a COVID-19 DNA vaccine, is responsible for commercial production of the vaccine.

Inovio established by a Korean American scientist Joseph Kim has been conducting a phase 1 clinical trial of its COVID-19 vaccine in the United States since late April.

In the complaint, Inovio alleged that VGXI does not have the manufacturing capacity to make large quantities of the vaccine, while refusing to provide its necessary information to let others manufacture instead. Inovio said it needs to have 1 million doses ready by the end of the year, but its plan faces a disruption due to VGXI’s refusal. Inovio also said VGXI took two weeks to make 30,000 doses, which is not enough for clinical trials, and VGXI is intentionally delaying its production to squeeze more money from Inovio.

VGXI is expected to make its official statement Friday. Sources say VGXI has a full-scale production capacity but has difficulties to manufacture Inovio’s full order on the requested timeline because of prior commitments to other customers.

By Kim Si-gyun and Minu Kim

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