(MENAFN) On Monday, South Korea announced a breakthrough in public health with the creation of the world’s first recombinant protein-based anthrax vaccine designed to minimize side effects.

This innovation marks a significant stride toward national vaccine self-reliance and holds promising potential for international export, as reported by a Seoul-based news agency. The new vaccine was developed through a collaboration between the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency (KDCA) and private company GC Biopharma Corp.

Unlike traditional vaccines, this novel formula removes the risk of exposure to toxins produced by Bacillus anthracis, a highly dangerous pathogen that poses a bioterrorism threat.

Barythrax Inj., the new vaccine, secured regulatory clearance from South Korea’s Ministry of Food and Drug Safety in April. This approval enables the country to manufacture its own anthrax vaccine supply for the first time, ending years of dependence on imported doses.

Kim Gab-jung, director general of the KDCA’s disease diagnosis and analysis department, emphasized the strategic importance of the development, stating it will reduce the financial burden of vaccine imports and allow for quicker, more reliable responses during national crises such as bioterror attacks.

“Beyond infectious disease preparedness, the vaccine’s development represents a major contribution to strengthening the country’s overall public health security,” Kim said.

Previously, South Korea depended on Biothrax, an anthrax vaccine produced in the United States. Since anthrax was designated a notifiable disease in 2000, the country has not reported any cases.

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