Thailand is securing long-term public health resilience and vaccine security while fostering partnerships in South Korea’s biomedical sector, Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul says.
The premier yesterday held talks with Ahn Jaeyong, CEO of SK bioscience Co Ltd, and Chey Tae-won, chairman of SK Group, at the Commodore Gyeongju Hotel, South Korea, said government spokesman Siripong Angkasakulkiat.
During the meeting, Mr Anutin recalled that during his tenure as public health minister in 2022, he had begun discussing a collaboration between the Government Pharmaceutical Organisation (GPO), the National Vaccine Institute (NVI) and SK bioscience, Mr Siripong said.
Thailand is looking to reinforce vaccine security and reduce dependence on foreign suppliers by promoting the country’s self-sufficiency in vaccine production, particularly elevating the GPO’s manufacturing capacity and ensuring that locally produced vaccines are affordable and widely accessible, he said.
To prepare for future public health crises, Thailand is looking to develop key vaccines, he said.
The prime minister anticipated that the collaboration between the GPO and SK bioscience would allow Thailand to produce vaccines within 100 days of a disease outbreak, the government spokesman said.
This would help lower vaccine costs and give people, especially elderly people, those with underlying diseases and pregnant women, timely access to critical medicine, he said.
SK bioscience’s CEO, meanwhile, expressed confidence that a joint venture with the GPO would facilitate technology transfer and vaccine production knowledge, Mr Siripong said.
Mr Ahn said he believed it would help Thailand achieve its production goals, Mr Siripong added.
He also thanked Mr Anutin for his suggestion in expanding vaccine development to strengthen both national and regional vaccine security, Mr Siripong noted.
Founded in 2005, SK bioscience is headquartered in Seongnam-si city of Gyeonggi-do and operates two main facilities: the Pangyo R and D Centre and the Andong L-HOUSE vaccine plant, which meets EU-GMP international standards, Mr Siripong said.
The company produces key vaccines, certified by the World Health Organization, for influenza, chickenpox, shingles and typhoid, he said.
SK bioscience also serves as a contract development and manufacturing organisation and contract manufacturing organisation for other companies, he noted.