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- Approximately 800 children aged 12 months to 12 years in Korea and abroad, aiming for completion by 2027
- Rising demand for 2-dose regimen as international standards amid projected global market growth to USD 6.3 billion by 3034
- SKBS continues strategic R&D to enhance global vaccine competitiveness of its vaccine pipelines
SEONGNAM, South Korea, Sept. 2, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- SK bioscience, a global innovative vaccine and biotech company committed to promoting human health from prevention to cure, today announced that it has submitted an IND (Investigational New Drug application) to the Ministry of Food and Drug Safety for a global Phase 3 clinical trial of SKYVaricella to add the 2-dose (two-shot) indication, aligning with evolving international standards that increasingly recommend two doses to provide stronger, longer-lasting protection against varicella. The trial will evaluate the immunogenicity and safety of two doses in roughly 800 children aged 12 months to 12 years, with completion targeted by 2027.
Varicella vaccines have effectively reduced disease and complications with a single dose, which has been the standard in many countries. However, breakthrough infections may occur over time and international standards are shifting toward a 2-dose schedule to provide stronger, longer-lasting immunity and reduce community transmission.
WHO's SAGE (Strategic Advisory Group of Experts on Immunization) officially recommended a 2-dose varicella vaccination in March 2025, boosting demand in global procurement markets including PAHO. The United States implemented a 2-dose schedule in 2006, cutting varicella incidence by over 85%, and countries such as Germany and Japan have since incorporated 2-dose regimens into their national immunization programs.
Since its launch in Korea in 2018, SKYVaricella obtained WHO PQ certification in 2019, becoming the second vaccine worldwide to achieve this, entering the international procurement market. It has been administered to over 5 million people globally, with supply expanded through Korea's National Immunization Program, private healthcare providers, and international tenders such as PAHO. Recently, the company signed an additional supply agreement with PAHO for 2025-2027 and plans to accelerate its entry into the global varicella vaccine market through the development of SKYVaricella 2-dose regimen.
Global Market Insights projects that the global varicella vaccine market will grow from USD 3.4 billion (KRW 4.7 trillion) in 2024 to USD 6.3 billion (KRW 8.8 trillion) by 2034, at an average annual growth rate of 6.5%.
Ryu Ji-hwa, Head of Development Department of SK bioscience, said, "Our 2-dose varicella vaccine is a strategic pipeline that directly reflects updated international standards and rising market demand. Building on our WHO PQ-backed procurement experience and R&D achievements, we aim to complete development quickly and compete globally with reliable production and superior immunogenicity."
About SK bioscience
SK bioscience is an innovative vaccine and biotech company, committed to vaccine development and manufacturing to enable more equitable access to vaccines around the world. Leveraging strengths on cutting-edge technologies, SK bioscience has been dedicated to promoting human health from prevention to cure across the globe. With the cooperation of domestic and international governments, regulatory agencies, healthcare providers, doctors, and medical experts, all of the SK colleagues are passionately committed to providing high-quality vaccines to those who need them and better public healthcare solutions.
SK bioscience Communications Team
Changhyun Jin (jin99@sk.com)
Jeannie S. Pak (j.pak@sk.com)
- Approximately 800 children aged 12 months to 12 years in Korea and abroad, aiming for completion by 2027
- Rising demand for 2-dose regimen as international standards amid projected global market growth to USD 6.3 billion by 3034
- SKBS continues strategic R&D to enhance global vaccine competitiveness of its vaccine pipelines
SEONGNAM, South Korea, Sept. 2, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- SK bioscience, a global innovative vaccine and biotech company committed to promoting human health from prevention to cure, today announced that it has submitted an IND (Investigational New Drug application) to the Ministry of Food and Drug Safety for a global Phase 3 clinical trial of SKYVaricella to add the 2-dose (two-shot) indication, aligning with evolving international standards that increasingly recommend two doses to provide stronger, longer-lasting protection against varicella. The trial will evaluate the immunogenicity and safety of two doses in roughly 800 children aged 12 months to 12 years, with completion targeted by 2027.
Varicella vaccines have effectively reduced disease and complications with a single dose, which has been the standard in many countries. However, breakthrough infections may occur over time and international standards are shifting toward a 2-dose schedule to provide stronger, longer-lasting immunity and reduce community transmission.
WHO's SAGE (Strategic Advisory Group of Experts on Immunization) officially recommended a 2-dose varicella vaccination in March 2025, boosting demand in global procurement markets including PAHO. The United States implemented a 2-dose schedule in 2006, cutting varicella incidence by over 85%, and countries such as Germany and Japan have since incorporated 2-dose regimens into their national immunization programs.
Since its launch in Korea in 2018, SKYVaricella obtained WHO PQ certification in 2019, becoming the second vaccine worldwide to achieve this, entering the international procurement market. It has been administered to over 5 million people globally, with supply expanded through Korea's National Immunization Program, private healthcare providers, and international tenders such as PAHO. Recently, the company signed an additional supply agreement with PAHO for 2025-2027 and plans to accelerate its entry into the global varicella vaccine market through the development of SKYVaricella 2-dose regimen.
Global Market Insights projects that the global varicella vaccine market will grow from USD 3.4 billion (KRW 4.7 trillion) in 2024 to USD 6.3 billion (KRW 8.8 trillion) by 2034, at an average annual growth rate of 6.5%.
Ryu Ji-hwa, Head of Development Department of SK bioscience, said, "Our 2-dose varicella vaccine is a strategic pipeline that directly reflects updated international standards and rising market demand. Building on our WHO PQ-backed procurement experience and R&D achievements, we aim to complete development quickly and compete globally with reliable production and superior immunogenicity."
About SK bioscience
SK bioscience is an innovative vaccine and biotech company, committed to vaccine development and manufacturing to enable more equitable access to vaccines around the world. Leveraging strengths on cutting-edge technologies, SK bioscience has been dedicated to promoting human health from prevention to cure across the globe. With the cooperation of domestic and international governments, regulatory agencies, healthcare providers, doctors, and medical experts, all of the SK colleagues are passionately committed to providing high-quality vaccines to those who need them and better public healthcare solutions.
SK bioscience Communications Team
Changhyun Jin (jin99@sk.com)
Jeannie S. Pak (j.pak@sk.com)
** The press release content is from PR Newswire. Bastille Post is not involved in its creation. **
SK bioscience Submits IND for Phase 3 Trial of 2-Dose Varicella Vaccine Reflecting Global Standard Shift
ZHUHAI, China, Jan. 9, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- Recently, Kingsoft Office, a leading Chinese office software company, and global IT services provider, FPT, today announced the signing of a Strategic Cooperation Memorandum of Understanding (MoU).
Under the MoU, the two parties will collaborate closely on the localization of WPS 365 in Vietnam, user growth initiatives, joint solution development, and global delivery services, with the shared goal of accelerating digital transformation for organizational users in Vietnam and across global markets.
Deepening Engagement in Vietnam to Accelerate WPS 365 Localization
As one of Southeast Asia's fastest-growing digital economies, Vietnam's digital economy accounted for 18.3% of GDP in 2024, growing at over 20%—more than three times the country's overall GDP growth rate. This rapid expansion positions Vietnam as a key global growth market for collaborative office solutions.
With digital transformation elevated to a national priority by the Vietnamese government, demand for intelligent and integrated workplace tools continues to rise. This strategic partnership is well aligned with Vietnam's market-specific localization requirements and evolving enterprise needs.
Pursuant to the MoU, Kingsoft Office and FPT will jointly advance the deep localization of WPS 365 in Vietnam, including Vietnamese language optimization and the development of localized features. Leveraging their respective product, technology, and solution capabilities, the two parties will pursue functional integration and co-develop joint solutions.
Through joint go-to-market and marketing initiatives, the partners aim to deliver co-branded, end-to-end intelligent office solutions tailored to the Vietnamese market, accelerating adoption across industries and driving user growth among enterprise, government, and individual segments.
Kingsoft Office has previously established a strong user base in Vietnam, with nearly 5 million monthly active devices achieved through the Vietnamese version of WPS Office. This has laid a solid foundation for the localization and market expansion of WPS 365.
Building on WPS Office, WPS 365 integrates core workplace applications, including messaging, meetings, calendars, email, and task management into a unified platform. With features such as compatibility with mainstream Office formats, intelligent productivity capabilities, seamless cross-device synchronization, and real-time multi-user collaboration, WPS 365 enables Vietnamese users to manage end-to-end work processes within a single platform, significantly enhancing productivity and collaboration efficiency.
This partnership is expected to further strengthen both parties' combined capabilities in Vietnam's digital workplace and delivery ecosystem, injecting new momentum into the digital transformation of organizational users nationwide.
Expanding Global Reach Through Professional Delivery Service
The MoU also reflects a shared commitment by both parties to jointly expand into global markets. Under the partnership, FPT will serve as Kingsoft Office's global delivery partner, providing WPS 365 implementation, training, and technical support in international markets, including Vietnam and Japan.
Kingsoft Office will provide product, technical, and enablement support, while both parties will work together to enhance customer success and overall service delivery capabilities across overseas markets. In parallel, Kingsoft Office will leverage its local ecosystem resources to support FPT's expansion in China, jointly empowering the global growth of Chinese enterprises.
Mr. Jiang Zhiqiang, Senior Vice President of Kingsoft Office, commented: "Since 1988, Kingsoft Office has been committed to the development and innovation of office software and has built a strong global user base. We look forward to working closely with our partners to combine our respective strengths and bring WPS 365 to global markets, delivering secure, efficient, and intelligent one-stop collaborative office solutions to users worldwide."
Mr. Phạm Thanh Tuấn, CEO of FPT China, FPT Corporation, added: "With our experienced expert teams and extensive global customer network, FPT is pleased to deepen its strategic cooperation with Kingsoft Office. Together, we aim to build a comprehensive and sustainable partnership that creates long-term business value for both parties and supports our joint expansion into international markets."
About Kingsoft Office
Kingsoft Office is a leading Chinese provider of office software products and services. With a comprehensive and diversified product portfolio, the company offers WPS Office, the WPS 365 collaborative office platform, and WPS AI applications, collectively addressing a full spectrum of needs ranging from individual productivity to enterprise-level collaboration.
Leveraging its strong product capabilities and long-term technology expertise, Kingsoft Office now serves users in more than 220 countries and regions worldwide. As of September 2025, its major products recorded 669 million monthly active devices and are available across a wide range of mainstream platforms, including Windows, Linux, macOS, Android, iOS, and HarmonyOS.
About FPT Corporation
FPT Corporation (FPT) is a globally leading technology and IT services provider headquartered in Vietnam, operating in three core sectors: Technology, Telecommunications, and Education. Over more than three decades, FPT has consistently delivered impactful solutions to millions of individuals and tens of thousands of organizations worldwide. As an AI-first company, FPT is committed to elevating Vietnam's position on the global tech map and delivering world-class AI-enabled solutions for global enterprises. FPT focuses on three critical transformations: Digital Transformation, Intelligence Transformation, and Green Transformation. In 2024, FPT reported a total revenue of USD 2.47 billion and a workforce of over 54,000 employees across its core businesses. For more information about FPT's global IT services, please visit https://fptsoftware.com.
** The press release content is from PR Newswire. Bastille Post is not involved in its creation. **
Kingsoft Office and FPT Enter Strategic Partnership to Accelerate WPS 365 and Global Delivery Collaboration
