SK Bioscience's cell culture-based influenza vaccine SKYCellflu / Courtesy of SK bioscience
Vaccine maker SK Bioscience said Tuesday it has been selected as a supplier of influenza vaccines to UNICEF for the first time, marking a significant expansion of the company's presence in the global public procurement market.
SK Bioscience has begun shipping its cell culture-based influenza vaccine SKYCellflu to countries in the southern hemisphere, including Laos, Myanmar and Fiji, and will begin supplying northern hemisphere markets — including Ethiopia, Lebanon, Albania and the Palestinian territories — in September. Total deliveries are expected to reach approximately 640,000 doses by the end of the year, aligned with each country's vaccination schedule.
The company was designated as UNICEF's sole supplier for southern hemisphere demand this season and as a major supplier for the northern hemisphere, an arrangement that SK Bioscience said will allow it to maintain year-round production capacity and accumulate operational experience across different seasonal demand cycles.
The UNICEF contract extends SK Bioscience's footprint in international public procurement alongside its existing supply relationship with the Pan American Health Organization, giving the company a presence in both of the world's two largest multilateral vaccine procurement channels.
