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News & Events
Institut Pasteur Korea and SML Biopharm to Collaborate on R&D of Infectious Disease Therapeutics and Vaccines
2026-02-11
Institut Pasteur Korea and SML Biopharm to Collaborate on
R&D of Infectious Disease Therapeutics and Vaccines
- Cooperation on R&D for SFTS therapeutics and application of mRNA-based technologies -
- Expansion of collaboration based on an open-lab platform for high-risk infectious disease research -
R&D of Infectious Disease Therapeutics and Vaccines
- Cooperation on R&D for SFTS therapeutics and application of mRNA-based technologies -
- Expansion of collaboration based on an open-lab platform for high-risk infectious disease research -
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(Jan. 22, 2026, Gyeonggi-do, Rep. of Korea) Institut Pasteur Korea (IPK) announced on the 22nd that it has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with SML Biopharm to collaborate on the development of therapeutics for Severe Fever with Thrombocytopenia Syndrome (SFTS) and on the utilization of mRNA-based technologies.
Under the agreement, the two organizations plan to explore novel therapeutic approaches for SFTS, a disease with significant unmet medical needs due to the absence of any approved vaccines or treatments to date. Leveraging their respective proprietary mRNA technology platforms, the partners will promote joint research and development efforts in the fields of therapeutics and vaccines.
IPK has been conducting foundational research for SFTS drug development through pathogen characterization as well as cell-based and small animal studies. In addition, the institute is pursuing vaccine development research utilizing next-generation mRNA technologies. IPK has also established an integrated end-to-end collaboration framework for vaccine development with about ten institutes across the Pasteur Network, including those in France, Brazil, Senegal, and Vietnam.
SML Biopharm has been engaged in the research and development of vaccines and therapeutics based on its differentiated mRNA design technology, which enhances in vivo stability and expression efficiency, as well as its lipid nanoparticle (LNP) delivery technology that reduces toxicity while improving delivery efficiency. Currently, with support from the Ministry of Health and Welfare, the Korea Research Institute of Bioscience and Biotechnology (KRIBB), and the National Institute of Toxicological Research, the company is conducting preclinical studies for the development of an mRNA-based antibody therapeutic for SFTS.
In particular, SML Biopharm is carrying out animal studies at the Virus Research Resource Center, a specialized open-lab facility for high-risk infectious disease R&D operated by IPK. Through this center, supported by the Ministry of Science and ICT, IPK provides access to essential but otherwise difficult-to-utilize biosafety level 3 (BL-3 and ABL-3) research facilities and biological resource banks, enabling their use by researchers from industry, academia, and research institutes.
Sung Key Jang, CEO of IPK, said, “Through this collaboration, we will create synergies that can accelerate the development of therapeutics for SFTS and further solidify our research cooperation in applying mRNA-based technologies. In addition, by expanding the use of our open-lab infrastructure essential for infectious disease research, we will continue to support a research environment that promotes the development of therapeutics and vaccines across industry, academia, and research sectors.”
Jae Hwan Nam, CEO of SML Biopharm, said, “This MoU will further accelerate the development of innovative therapeutics to address unmet medical needs for high-risk diseases such as SFTS. Through close collaboration with leading research institutions, we aim to deliver tangible outcomes that contribute to national public health security.”
Under the agreement, the two organizations plan to explore novel therapeutic approaches for SFTS, a disease with significant unmet medical needs due to the absence of any approved vaccines or treatments to date. Leveraging their respective proprietary mRNA technology platforms, the partners will promote joint research and development efforts in the fields of therapeutics and vaccines.
IPK has been conducting foundational research for SFTS drug development through pathogen characterization as well as cell-based and small animal studies. In addition, the institute is pursuing vaccine development research utilizing next-generation mRNA technologies. IPK has also established an integrated end-to-end collaboration framework for vaccine development with about ten institutes across the Pasteur Network, including those in France, Brazil, Senegal, and Vietnam.
SML Biopharm has been engaged in the research and development of vaccines and therapeutics based on its differentiated mRNA design technology, which enhances in vivo stability and expression efficiency, as well as its lipid nanoparticle (LNP) delivery technology that reduces toxicity while improving delivery efficiency. Currently, with support from the Ministry of Health and Welfare, the Korea Research Institute of Bioscience and Biotechnology (KRIBB), and the National Institute of Toxicological Research, the company is conducting preclinical studies for the development of an mRNA-based antibody therapeutic for SFTS.
In particular, SML Biopharm is carrying out animal studies at the Virus Research Resource Center, a specialized open-lab facility for high-risk infectious disease R&D operated by IPK. Through this center, supported by the Ministry of Science and ICT, IPK provides access to essential but otherwise difficult-to-utilize biosafety level 3 (BL-3 and ABL-3) research facilities and biological resource banks, enabling their use by researchers from industry, academia, and research institutes.
Sung Key Jang, CEO of IPK, said, “Through this collaboration, we will create synergies that can accelerate the development of therapeutics for SFTS and further solidify our research cooperation in applying mRNA-based technologies. In addition, by expanding the use of our open-lab infrastructure essential for infectious disease research, we will continue to support a research environment that promotes the development of therapeutics and vaccines across industry, academia, and research sectors.”
Jae Hwan Nam, CEO of SML Biopharm, said, “This MoU will further accelerate the development of innovative therapeutics to address unmet medical needs for high-risk diseases such as SFTS. Through close collaboration with leading research institutions, we aim to deliver tangible outcomes that contribute to national public health security.”