SK bioscience, a vaccine and biotech company, has entered into a collaboration agreement with Vaxxas, a biotechnology company developing a unique vaccine patch platform technology, to develop a second-generation typhoid conjugate vaccine.

SK bioscience’s SKYTyphoid vaccine will be reformulated so that it can be ‘printed’ onto the thousands of tiny micro projections covering the Vaxxas patch to be delivered directly to the abundant immune cells just under the skin surface. This reformulation aims to enhance access and broaden markets where traditional intramuscular delivery using needle and syringe has been employed.

SK bioscience will supply the antigen utilized by its typhoid conjugate vaccine, SKYTyhpoid that was jointly developed by SK bioscience and the International Vaccine Institute (IVI).

Vaxxas will be responsible for reformulating the SKYTyphoid antigen so that it can be applied to its HD-MAPs, and then conduct preclinical studies, which if successful, will be followed by a Phase I human clinical trial. 

SK bioscience collaborated with Wellcome and the IVI on the development of a trivalent invasive non-typhoidal Salmonellosis vaccine candidate in 2019. In October 2022, SK bioscience also signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with Hilleman Laboratories, a research institute established by MSD and Wellcome, for a strategic partnership to co-develop new vaccine candidates and technology platforms.

David Hoey, President, and CEO of Vaxxas, said, “We are excited to be initiating this important work with Wellcome and SK bioscience to leverage our HD-MAP vaccine platform to potentially enhance typhoid vaccination. We believe our HD-MAP can play a critical role in extending the global reach of typhoid conjugate vaccines and make a significant difference to the lives of many.”

Jaeyong Ahn, CEO of SK bioscience said, “Typhoid fever is a dangerous disease that frequently occurs in low- and middle- income countries, but the utilization of typhoid vaccines has been limited due to the requirement for vaccines that remain stable under varying temperatures and those that can be administered without medical supervision. This collaboration with Vaxxas provides an opportunity to overcome those challenges. We will continue to develop various formulations and products that can contribute to human health based on cross-border cooperation with international organizations and institutions, such as Wellcome and Vaxxas.”