SK bioscience streamlines global value chain with new COO and executive hires

SK bioscience has launched a comprehensive initiative to advance the operational system of the company and establish an integrated management framework that organically connects the entire process from vaccine development to production.

SK bioscience appointed a new executives to build an integrated global value chain linking vaccine development, production, and commercialization. From left are COO Park Jin-sun, L HOUSE plan manager and head of the Bio Research Center Lee Sang-yoon, and head of quality excellence Lee Bum-han. (Credit: SK bioscience)

The company said it has established the position of Chief Operating Officer (COO) to manage the integrated global value chain.

SK bioscience COO Park Jin-sun, the former senior vice president of SK bioscience’s global business development and commercial operations, has been appointed to the role.

To secure world-class manufacturing and quality competitiveness, the company also recruited two experts from the industry. Lee Sang-yoon, the former vice president of the technical support center at Samsung Biologics, was named the Plant Manager of L HOUSE and Head of the Bio Research Center. Additionally, Lee Bum-han, the former QA group leader at Hanmi Pharmaceutical, joined as the Head of Quality Excellence.

Park is a global business expert and a graduate of Seoul National University’s College of Pharmacy. She will oversee the overall commercialization of new pipelines and enhance the market competitiveness of self-developed products based on her expertise ranging from research planning to business development.

Lee Sang-yoon is a process innovation expert who led large-scale commercial production and technology transfers at Samsung Biologics and Celltrion. He plans to design optimal manufacturing processes considering global supply from the initial research stages by linking the operations of L HOUSE with the Bio Research Center.

Lee Bum-han will be responsible for global quality management. With over 20 years of experience in quality assurance, he has led product approvals from global regulatory agencies, including the U.S. FDA. He will focus on establishing a world-class quality control system that aligns with the global advancement of major pipelines.

The company stressed that the appointments were made to create an integrated control tower where vaccine development, commercial production, and global collaboration function within one system. The company determined that optimizing operations is essential as the next-generation 21-valent pneumococcal vaccine candidate, co-developed with Sanofi, is currently progressing through phase 3 clinical trials, and new vaccine projects are entering full-scale development.

“The relocation to the Songdo Global R&PD Center serves as a catalyst for significantly enhancing research and process infrastructure,” the company said. “We plan to secure management efficiency and strengthen cooperative systems with global partners to establish a foothold for international market expansion.”