Prestige Bio to speed up making Sputnik Light Covid-19 vaccine

Prestige Biopharma said Monday it would accelerate Russia’s Sputnik V Covid-19 vaccine production and the growth of the antibody-drug business, in collaboration with its subsidiary Prestige Biologics, a contract development and manufacturing organization.

Prestige Biopharma and Prestige Biologics will speed up manufacturing Russia’s Sputnik V Covid-19 vaccine and facilitate the growth of the antibody-drug business.

Prestige Biopharma imported cell lines and viruses from Russia for pilot production of Sputnik Light in June.

The company said it is building a vaccine center with a total production capacity of 100,000 liters to expand its second Prestige Biologics plant in Osong, North Chungcheong Province, to mass-produce the vaccine. It would manufacture prototypes of the vaccine starting from August with its 200-liter incubator (bioreactors) as planned.

Prestige Biologics has borrowed 50 billion won ($44.2 million) in long-term loans from the Korea Development Bank to facilitate the construction of its second plant for producing antibody drugs, including biosimilars.

“Prestige Group has a platform that integrates the entire process, starting from research and development to production of vaccines and antibody drugs,” Prestige Biopharma CEO Park So-yeon said. “We will respond flexibly to changes in the market and speed up our growth in the future.”