LG Chem Strengthens Its Position as a Leading Company in the Global Polio Vaccine Market

[Financial News] LG Chem announced on the 17th that it is solidifying its leading position in the global polio vaccine market based on the expansion of clinical data for its self-developed polio vaccine 'Eupolio'. LG Chem is laying the foundation for export expansion by confirming long-term safety, immunogenicity persistence, boosting effect, and cross-vaccination appropriateness with live vaccines through the results of clinical phase 3b (additional clinical trials) to strengthen the product competitiveness of Eupolio.
Since 2021, LG Chem has been supplying Eupolio to more than 50 countries through the world's largest vaccine bidding market, including UNICEF. In the UNICEF bidding market, Eupolio's market share is about 35%, and the cumulative sales (from 2021 to this year) amount to 300 billion won.
LG Chem conducted additional clinical trials after product commercialization to secure broad usage advantages of Eupolio in the increasingly competitive bidding market and become an irreplaceable supplier.
In January 2023, LG Chem officially registered the first participant for the phase 3b trial, evaluating long-term safety and efficacy with 2,000 participants at 11 institutions in the Philippines and Thailand.
The primary evaluation index of this trial, the long-term (6-month) safety evaluation results, showed that most adverse events following immunization (AEFI) were mild to moderate, and no serious adverse reactions (SADR) related to the drug were reported.
LG Chem evaluated the initial (4 weeks after the basic 3-dose vaccination) immune response as an efficacy indicator, confirming that the seroprotection rate and seroconversion rate, which are representative indicators of virus infection prevention, were over 98%.
In the long-term (1 year after the basic 3-dose vaccination) immune response evaluation, it was confirmed that effective immunogenicity persisted, and in the boosting effect evaluation following additional vaccination (4th dose at 1 year after the basic 3-dose vaccination), a 100% seroprotection rate and seroconversion rate were confirmed, providing evidence for the usefulness of the 4th dose.
To analyze the appropriateness of cross-vaccination with oral polio vaccine (OPV) and Eupolio, after administering the oral vaccine, Eupolio was subsequently administered, resulting in a 100% seroprotection rate and seroconversion rate.
In countries receiving vaccines through UNICEF, a method of cross-vaccination with oral live vaccines and injectable inactivated vaccines is adopted, and through this trial, LG Chem has obtained data optimized for the market environment.
Based on the strengthened product competitiveness, LG Chem plans to secure a competitive edge in the public procurement market, including UNICEF and the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO), and accelerate the expansion into individual countries.
Kim Seong-ho, head of LG Chem's Specialty-Care Division, said, “We will actively pursue regional expansion of the vaccine business so that more infants and young children worldwide can receive quality vaccines,” adding, “We will faithfully fulfill the social responsibility of pharmaceutical companies by achieving timely localization of essential vaccines that our children must receive, such as the 6-in-1 combination vaccine, and through continuous development of new vaccines.”

vrdw88@fnnews.com Kang Joong-mo Reporter