The development of high-immunogenic vaccines targeting the elderly is accelerating as society ages. With the immune function declining in older adults, existing vaccines may not provide sufficient preventive effects, increasing the need for vaccines with higher antigen content or adjuvants.
According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the hospitalization rate for adults aged 65 and older during the 2022-2023 flu season was 187 per 100,000, the highest among all age groups.
The situation is similar in South Korea. According to the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency (KDCA), the influenza vaccination rate for those aged 65 and older exceeds 80% annually, yet approximately 70% of hospitalized patients and over 80% of deaths occur in this age group. This highlights the growing need for vaccine development that can enhance actual preventive effects beyond just increasing vaccination rates.
The KDCA recently proposed high-immunogenic influenza vaccines as a priority for the National Immunization Program (NIP), prompting domestic companies to accelerate the development of vaccines tailored for the elderly.
SK Bioscience is expanding its vaccine research and development efforts, focusing on a high-immunogenic influenza vaccine using a microneedle patch. This vaccine is being co-developed with its German subsidiary IDT Biologika and the Australian vaccine platform company Vaxas, currently in the basic research and preclinical stages. The goal is to induce a strong immune response with a lower antigen dose, enhancing convenience with a short application time and heat stability for room temperature storage. In its second-quarter earnings report, SK Bioscience classified this vaccine as part of its premium pipeline.
GC Pharma's high-dose influenza vaccine for the elderly is expected to enter Phase 2/3 clinical trials within the year. The vaccine under development has quadrupled the hemagglutinin antigen content compared to standard influenza vaccines. A GC Pharma representative stated, "By increasing the hemagglutinin antigen content, we aim to induce a stronger and more sustained immune response in the elderly, contributing to improved flu prevention and reduced severity and complications."
Demand for vaccines tailored to the elderly is also reflected in national vaccination policies. The KDCA has analyzed that major countries entering super-aged societies are restructuring their policies to enhance actual preventive effects for older adults. Taiwan plans to introduce high-immunogenic influenza vaccines into its public vaccination system in the second half of this year, while Japan will include high-dose influenza vaccines for those aged 75 and older in its NIP starting in October.
In addition to influenza, the need for shingles vaccines among the elderly is also increasing due to a higher risk of onset and potential complications such as neuropathic pain following the disease. Aribio Lab is developing a shingles prevention vaccine based on its own immune enhancement platform, Lipo-pam, and is currently conducting Phase 2 clinical trials.
Jeon Eun-young, an executive at Aribio Lab, noted, "The trend is to develop vaccines for the elderly by increasing antigen content or using immune enhancers. High-immunogenic vaccines that can provide better preventive effects than existing vaccines will become increasingly important for the elderly."
* This article has been translated by AI.
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