Dr. Hong-Jin Kim, CEO of POSVAX receives Prime Minister's Commendation... Development of the first domestic HPV 9-valent vaccine
POSVAX announced on the 28th that Dr. Hong-Jin Kim, CEO of POSVAX, received a Prime Minister's Commendation at the '2023 Health Industry Achievement Exchange Meeting' held at El Tower in Yangjae-dong, Seoul on the 27th.
The government commendation for contributions to the promotion of health and medical technology (R&D) is hosted by the Ministry of Health and Welfare. It is the most prestigious award in the health and medical technology field, recognizing organizations or individuals who have contributed to the competitiveness of the health and medical industry and national economic development by developing new technologies or products based on health and medical R&D. POSVAX was selected for its outstanding achievements in the 2022 government initiative for the vaccine and received the 'Project Director's Award.' Following this, at the 10th Infectious Disease Research Forum and Infectious Disease R&D Vaccine Project Joint Achievement Sharing Meeting held in 2023, POSVAX received the 'Minister of Health and Welfare Excellence Award' for its contribution to the development of the 'HPV 9-valent vaccine' using the 'Virus-Like Particle (VLP) Platform Technology.' Recognized for its contribution to obtaining global patent rights and securing domestic vaccine self-sufficiency through developing the HPV 9-valent vaccine with efficacy equal to or greater than existing vaccines supplied worldwide, POSVAX was awarded the Prime Minister's Commendation. The HPV vaccine, which prevents reproductive system-related cancers, including cervical cancer in women, and reproductive organ and oropharyngeal cancers in men, has been included in the National Immunization Program in South Korea since 2016. According to WHO’s publication, as of 2022, despite being a crucial and essential vaccine included in government vaccination programs in 134 countries worldwide, it relies entirely on imports. POSVAX, as part of the 'Self-sufficiency of vaccines for National Immunization Program' project by government initiative for the vaccine, is developing a 9-valent Human Papillomavirus (HPV) vaccine with government support. It is currently concluding phase 1 clinical trials and preparing for phase 2 clinical trials. POSVAX received support from the Ministry of Health and Welfare for entering phase 1 trials in 2021 and additional support for a two-step project to enter phase 2 trials starting in 2023. Dr. Hong-Jin Kim, CEO of POSVAX, is pioneering new areas in vaccine localization and anti-cancer vaccine development utilizing high-value preventive vaccines and therapeutic anti-cancer vaccines with the VLP platform technology. Dr. Kim who had been a professor at Chung-Ang University College of Pharmacy since 2004, has dedicated himself to the development of HPV vaccines based on VLP platform technology. In particular, he holds 25 patents in 12 countries for the core technology of 'Mass Production and Purification of VLP.'
Dr. Kim stated, "I am pleased to receive the Prime Minister's Commendation for the past 20 years of research and development of the HPV vaccine, one of the essential preventive vaccines, to secure vaccine sovereignty based on various government support from the Ministry of Health and Welfare, the Ministry of Food and Drug Safety, and the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency." He added, "I will continue to strive not only for the HPV vaccine but also for the development of new drugs, such as Alzheimer's disease vaccines and therapeutic anti-cancer vaccines, using VLP platform technology, contributing to the improvement of human life quality and the advancement of South Korea's health industry and medical technology." POSVAX stated that they plan to secure funds for the phase 2 clinical trials of the HPV 9-valent vaccine scheduled for next year and research funds for non-clinical toxicity tests for the subsequent pipeline. They are also preparing for global licensing out of the HPV 9-valent vaccine and aiming for a KOSDAQ listing in the first half of 2025, including the necessary technological evaluations.