Bill Gates, the world-renowned philanthropist and co-chair of the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, visited Korea for the first time in three years to promote the establishment of a "vaccine alliance." His trip is seen as a symbolic step in strengthening global health cooperation, and attention is focused on which Korean pharmaceutical and biotech companies might benefit.
According to industry sources, Gates arrived in Korea on the 20th to discuss ways to cooperate with the Korean government and domestic pharmaceutical and biotech firms with the goal of expanding vaccine access for low-income countries. Key executives from the Gates Foundation reportedly joined the visit, including Trevor Mundel, president of the foundation's Global Health division, who met with officials from the Ministry of Health and Welfare, the Korea National Institute of Health, SK Bioscience, and LG Chem.
Since the pandemic, the Gates Foundation has provided massive funding to international initiatives such as CEPI (Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations) and Gavi (the Vaccine Alliance) to ensure equitable distribution of vaccines. This visit is interpreted as an effort to further integrate Korea as a strategic hub within this global health network, recognizing that the country's production infrastructure and technological capabilities could play a vital role in improving vaccine accessibility for low-income nations.
Above all, SK Bioscience has already built a close relationship with the Gates Foundation. The company developed the COVID-19 vaccine GBP510 with tens of millions of dollars in R&D support from CEPI and the Gates Foundation. GBP510 went through global clinical trials with the goal of inclusion on the WHO's emergency use listing, positioning SK Bioscience to become an international vaccine hub. Gates' current visit is therefore expected to focus heavily on discussions involving SK Bioscience.
SK Bioscience's strength lies not only in the scale of its production facilities but also in its full-cycle capabilities -- from vaccine development and clinical trials to large-scale manufacturing and global supply chain management. Its "L House" plant in Andong, Gyeongbuk, is considered one of the world's largest cell culture-based vaccine production facilities.
This infrastructure was validated during the pandemic, when the company served as a contract manufacturer (CMO) for AstraZeneca and Novavax vaccines. This is why the Gates Foundation sees SK Bioscience as its top candidate for stable production and supply of vaccines for low-income countries.
Furthermore, SK Bioscience is participating in the development of next-generation "microneedle patch vaccines," which can be stored at room temperature and administered without trained healthcare professionals, making them particularly useful in regions with poor medical infrastructure. Given the Gates Foundation's strong interest in improving vaccine efficiency in underserved regions, collaboration on the microneedle platform is expected to be a key topic during this visit.
In addition to SK Bioscience, other Korean companies are also likely candidates for partnership with the Gates Foundation. Samsung Biologics, with its unmatched contract manufacturing capacity, can produce antibody drugs and vaccines at scale, offering cost-efficiency well suited for mass supply to low-income countries. Celltrion, with its experience in antibody-based therapeutics and production facilities, is also seen as a potential partner.
LG Chem's Life Sciences division has long-standing expertise in traditional vaccines such as polio and tuberculosis, giving it the potential to link with global vaccine demand. SD Biosensor, a diagnostics firm, also gained international supply chain experience during the pandemic and is being highlighted as a collaborator in infectious disease response.
At present, however, the Korean company receiving the most direct and concrete support from the Gates Foundation is EuBiologics. The firm is developing a pentavalent meningococcal conjugate vaccine (EuMCV5) with funding and milestone payments from the RIGHT Foundation at each clinical stage.
The Gates Foundation also covered nearly half the cost of expanding EuBiologics' cholera vaccine production facilities. As the first Korean company to secure Gates Foundation investment, EuBiologics can be considered a direct beneficiary of the "vaccine alliance" framework.
The Korean government, meanwhile, is expected to reassess its vaccine and biotech industry strategies in light of Gates' visit. Korea has already been pursuing its "K-Bio Vaccine Hub" plan to simultaneously strengthen vaccine sovereignty and contribute to global public health. Collaboration with the Gates Foundation could create strong synergies between government strategies and corporate growth.
An industry insider commented, "Bill Gates' visit provides both symbolic and practical opportunities for the Korean biotech sector. Korea will gain a stage to demonstrate its vaccine development and production capabilities to the world, while the Gates Foundation will secure a reliable partner to help achieve the greater goal of expanding vaccine access in low-income countries."