POSCO International will export swine fever vaccines to Canada.
Recently, POSCO International's move is drawing attention at a time when interest in vaccines has increased at home and abroad, including the outbreak of swine fever in about seven months in Korea.
POSCO International signed a three-way MOU with BioApp, a plant protein-based vaccine development bio-venture, and PlantForm of Canada on May 11 for export of swine fever (CSF) vaccines, consignment production and joint research and development.
The signing ceremony was held through a non-face-to-face video conference, attended by Heo Sung-hyung, head of POSCO International's eco-friendly materials business, Son Eun-joo, CEO of BioApp, and CEO Don Stewart of PlantForm.
BioApp is a bio-venture that develops and produces human and animal disease vaccines such as swine fever vaccines, and is drawing attention as a company that utilizes plant cell-based 'green vaccine' technology, unlike previous companies that develop animal cell-based vaccines.
Green vaccine refers to a safe vaccine that has no fear of spreading pathogens and no possibility of creating a new mutant virus.
In particular, BioApp is POSCO International's first partner in the "Small and Medium Venture Business Marketing Collaboration Portal," a platform that supports and collaborates with small and medium venture companies.
In order to develop an African swine fever vaccine, the company is continuing to cooperate with R&D centers in Russia, China, and Spain, as well as marketing overseas exports of the "Green Vaccine," a swine fever vaccine.
PlantForm is a biopharmaceutical company focusing on producing special antibodies and proteins using the vivoXPRESS® platform.
"The plant vaccine and green vaccine are a safe vaccine that does not spread pathogens or produce mutant viruses," said Son Eun-joo, CEO of BioApp. "We hope that cooperation with POSCO International and PlantForm will contribute greatly to human happiness."
