715942 ivi vital korea 300x200 1

IVI, Vaccine Innovative Technology ALliance Korea (VITAL-Korea) to partner for innovative vaccine R&D

Dr. Jerome Kim (left), Director General of IVI, and Professor Baik Lin Seong, Director General of VITAL-Korea, exchange a memorandum of understanding at IVI headquarters on November 17, 2020. Credit: IVI

SEOUL, REPUBLIC OF KOREA, November 18, 2020 /EINPresswire.com/ — The International Vaccine Institute (IVI) and the Vaccine Innovative Technology ALliance Korea (VITAL-Korea) agreed to join forces to promote vaccine research and development for global health.

IVI and VITAL-Korea signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) to commit to cooperation on vaccine R&D at IVI headquarters on November 17. In attendance at the MOU signing ceremony were Director General Dr. Jerome Kim and Deputy Director General Dr. Manki Song from IVI, and Director General Prof. Baik Lin Seong (Professor at Yonsei University) and Director Mr. Sung-Ho Park from VITAL-Korea. Under the MOU, the two sides are to establish a collaborative relationship to (1) promote innovative vaccine research & development in Korea, (2) exchange information on global vaccine research & business development networks, and (3) co-host vaccine-related events.

VITAL-Korea is a new initiative launched this year by the Ministry of Health and Welfare. VITAL-Korea will invest a total of KRW215 billion over the next 10 years from April 2020 to strengthen Korea’s vaccine self-sufficiency and public safety.

“The International Vaccine Institute is the world’s only international organization dedicated to the development of vaccines for the public sector market. Over the past 23 years, IVI has played a significant role in turning Korea into a global biotechnology leader,” Prof. Baik Lin Seong said. “Through a practical and comprehensive R&D collaboration with IVI, we will pool resources and wisdom to develop and commercialize vaccines for the Korean public and global health.”

“Korea is globally competitive in biotechnology and medical research. Coupled with the government’s commitment to the sector, the country is emerging as a global vaccine powerhouse,” IVI Director General Dr. Jerome Kim said. “As an international organization devoted to vaccine development, IVI has been strengthening cooperation between academia, industry, and the government in Korea and around the world. By partnering with VITAL-Korea, we will help accelerate research, development and globalization of safe and effective vaccines, reducing the burden of disease and death caused by infectious pathogens.”

###

About the International Vaccine Institute (IVI)

The International Vaccine Institute (IVI) is a nonprofit inter-governmental organization established in 1997 at the initiative of the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP). Headquartered in Seoul, South Korea, IVI was the first international organization hosted by Korea. IVI has 36 signatory countries and the World Health Organization (WHO) on its treaty, including Korea, Sweden, India, and Finland as state funders.

Our mandate is to make vaccines available and accessible for the world’s most vulnerable people. We focus on infectious diseases of global health importance such as cholera, typhoid, shigella, salmonella, schistosomiasis, Group A Strep, Hepatitis A, HPV, TB, HIV, MERS, COVID-19, as well as antimicrobial resistance. For more information, please visit www.ivi.int

About Vaccine Innovative Technology ALliance Korea (VITAL-Korea)

The Vaccine Innovative Technology ALliance Korea (Director General Prof. Baik Lin Seong) of Korea is a new initiative launched in April 2020, with the support of the Ministry of Health and Welfare, to raise vaccine self-sufficiency, and to promote the discovery of new vaccine candidates and clinical development. Over the next 10 years (2020~2029), VITAL-Korea will invest a total of KRW215 billion from the national budget to manage and support the entire spectrum of vaccine development, spanning from the discovery of vaccine candidates to clinical research activities, to help overcome major infectious disease threats including tuberculosis, hepatitis A, and hand-foot-and-mouth-disease.

To bolster domestic vaccine development and production capabilities, VITAL-Korea will support not only the development of vaccine technologies but also research on vaccine manufacturing processes and the production of clinical trial samples. It aims to complete phase II clinical trials of 7 vaccine candidates, including three NIP vaccines, to establish vaccine self-sufficiency in essential vaccines in the research areas, to boost preparedness to future threats and develop vaccine platform technologies.

Soyeon Cindy Park
International Vaccine Institute
+8228811217 ext.
soyeon.park@ivi.int
Visit us on social media:
Facebook
Twitter
LinkedIn

article

Login To Facebook To Comment
Share This: