Vaccine maker and RIGHT Foundation seeking to achieve global health equity
EuBiologics, the Korean vaccine maker known as the largest supplier of oral cholera vaccines to global health programs for less-developed countries, is lining up its recently approved typhoid conjugate vaccine for international procurement to target an initial UNICEF allocation in the latter half of next year.
EuBiologics’ typhoid conjugate vaccine, EuTYPH-C, secured the World Health Organization’s prequalification, or PQ in August, becoming the very first vaccine backed by the Research Investment for Global Health Technology Foundation to clear that bar.
“We see the WHO PQ as the first step,” Lee Min-won, executive director of the RIGHT Foundation, said in a joint interview with EuBiologics CEO Baik Yeong-ok at the foundation’s office in Seoul on Wednesday.
“(The WHO) PQ gives you the basic qualification to enter public procurement by UNICEF and the like,” Lee said.
Before EuTYPH-C, three suppliers from India took up most of the worldwide supply for the WHO PQ-certified typhoid vaccine.
“From the standpoint of international organizations, it is very important to diversify countries and companies and be able to supply reliably with lower-cost products,” Lee said, noting that international procurement agencies’ funding is shrinking.