Aju Business Daily

SEOUL -- LSK Global Pharma Services, a leading contract research
organization (CRO) in South Korea, partnered with a vaccine institute affiliated with the United Nations Development Programme to support clinical trials for a COVID-19 vaccine candidate developed by a U.S. biotechnology company.

Clinical trials are underway in South Korea to test the safety and efficacy of two vaccine candidates, including INO-4800 developed by Inovio Pharmaceuticals. The International Vaccine Institute (IVI), headquartered in Seoul, has won approval for clinical trials with Seoul National University Hospital.

"We are pleased to begin this clinical trial following the selection of LSK Global PS and taking the next steps toward the development of a COVID-19 vaccine, which has been eagerly awaited by people across the world,” IVI Director General Jerome Kim said in a statement. The phase 1/2 clinical trial of INO-4800, funded by the Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations (CEPI), is supported by the Korea National Institute of Health for laboratory analysis.

LSK Global PS said it would be responsible for general clinical operations, including project management, monitoring, data management and pharmacovigilance activities. "We are honored to conduct the first approved clinical trial of a COVID-19 vaccine in Korea and play our role as a leading CRO in addressing the growing expectations for a COVID-19 vaccine," said LSK Global PS president Young-Jack Lee.

"We remain committed to successfully completing clinical trials with the extensive experience and capabilities we have built through more than 130 global clinical trials including various trials of vaccines," Lee said. LSK Global PS has provided therapeutic area-specific services across oncology, cardiovascular disease and endocrinology.