“Photo provided by GC Green Cross” – GC Green Cross has started the distribution of its anthrax vaccine ‘Baritrax’. The company aims to lead vaccine self-sufficiency with a ‘100% domestically produced’ vaccine.
On the 8th, GC Green Cross announced that the anthrax vaccine Baritrax, co-developed with the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency (KDCA), has been shipped domestically for the first time. This comes about eight months after it received approval as the 39th domestic new drug last April. The initial shipment will be supplied as a stockpile vaccine for the KDCA.
Baritrax is the world’s first genetically recombined anthrax vaccine. Unlike the conventional method which uses non-pathogenic anthrax bacteria directly, this vaccine expresses and purifies only the protective antigen protein, a major component of anthrax toxin, enhancing safety. Its excellent safety and strong immunogenicity were demonstrated in clinical trials.
According to GC Green Cross, this vaccine can be mass-produced quickly if needed. Baritrax is produced at GC Green Cross’s Hwasun vaccine plant in Jeollanam-do, which can manufacture up to 10 million doses of anthrax vaccine annually. This quantity is sufficient for 2.5 million people based on four doses per person, making it highly advantageous for commercialization.
The company also plans to take the lead in national vaccine self-sufficiency. Baritrax is a 100% domestically produced vaccine developed jointly by GC Green Cross and the KDCA. Heo Eun-cheol, CEO of GC Green Cross, stated, “We consider the first shipment of the domestically developed anthrax vaccine, co-developed with the KDCA, to be very meaningful,” and added, “We will continue to do our best to strengthen the country’s epidemic prevention capabilities and achieve vaccine self-sufficiency.”