SK Bioscience has announced its collaboration with global pharmaceutical company MSD (Merck) in the development project of an Ebola vaccine, which is being advanced by the Hilleman Laboratories. This project, backed by approximately $30 million from CEPI (Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations), aims to develop a second-generation vaccine against the Zaire Ebola virus. As part of this initiative, SK Bioscience has entered into a contract manufacturing and development agreement with its subsidiary IDT Biologika, located in Germany, focusing on improving the manufacturing efficiency and heat stability of the vaccine to enhance supply stability and accessibility.

Under the agreement, SK Bioscience will be responsible for the production of the vaccine's active ingredient, while IDT Biologika will manage the finished product development and production. This partnership marks a strategic move for SK Bioscience, as they aim to expand the capabilities of IDT, which was acquired in October 2024, to a global hub for vaccine manufacturing. The Zaire Ebola virus is a high-risk infectious disease with a low survival rate of just 50%, intensifying the need for a stable supply of vaccines as a key issue in international health cooperation, especially given the recent resurgence reports from regions like the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC).

The COO of SK Bioscience, Park Jin-seon, emphasized that this agreement will enhance the execution capacity for global infectious disease response projects by leveraging the development and production capabilities of both SK Bioscience and IDT. He noted that the company is committed to continuously refining their integrated manufacturing platform to reliably meet international public health demands. In addition to the Ebola project, SK Bioscience plans to expand its pipeline through collaborations on vaccines, such as a pneumococcal vaccine with Sanofi and an RSV human antibody drug, further strengthening its global cooperation network.