Kwangdong and MSD form pneumococcal vaccine alliance

21-valent ‘Capvaxive’ to launch in Q1… co-promotion to begin in earnest in Korea

Adult-tailored strategy leveraging expanded serotype coverage…targets unmet needs

From beverages to prescription drugs and vaccines… Kwangdong accelerates strategic shift

The vaccine alliance between Kwangdong Pharmaceutical and MSD Korea is expanding into the adult pneumococcal market. Beyond their HPV vaccine collaboration, the partnership now includes the adult-specific 21-valent pneumococcal vaccine, marking an evolution in the companies' preventive portfolio partnership.

Kwangdong Pharmaceutical is shifting its business focus toward prescription pharmaceuticals and vaccines by extending its existing vaccine sales infrastructure into the adult preventive care domain.

On the 4th, Kwangdong Pharmaceutical announced that it had entered into a domestic co-promotion agreement with MSD Korea for Capvaxive, an adult-only 21-valent pneumococcal protein-conjugated vaccine. The two companies will jointly handle domestic marketing and distribution of Capvaxive starting from its launch in the first quarter of 2026.

This collaboration builds on the partnership established through the co-promotion of the HPV vaccines Gardasil and Gardasil 9, which the two companies have jointly marketed and distributed in Korea since 2024.

Given their existing cooperative relationship, the combination of Kwangdong’s sales infrastructure and MSD’s global vaccine portfolio is expected to generate significant synergies in the adult prevention market.

Adult-only 21-valent design… broader serotype coverage expands protection

Capvaxive is a newly designed vaccine aimed at preventing invasive pneumococcal disease (IPD) and pneumococcal pneumonia in adults. It reflects the latest epidemiological characteristics of adult pneumococcal disease to address unmet needs.

It prominently features the addition of eight unique serotypes—15A, 15C (deOAc15B), 16F, 23A, 23B, 24F, 31, and 35B—providing the broadest serotype coverage among currently approved pneumococcal protein-conjugated vaccines in Korea.

According to the Ministry of Food and Drug Safety (MFDS) approval, Capvaxive is indicated for the prevention of invasive disease and pneumococcal pneumonia caused by pneumococcal serotypes (3, 6A, 7F, 8, 9N, 10A, 11A, 12F, 15A, 15B, 15C, 16F, 17F, 19A, 20A, 22F, 23A, 23B, 24F, 31, 33F, and 35B) in adults aged 18 years and older.

Having accumulated over 25 years of experience supplying pneumococcal vaccines to adults in Korea, MSD Korea plans to fully implement adult-tailored prevention strategies through this partnership.

The company stated that it will work with Kwangdong Pharmaceutical to ensure that more adults benefit from expanded serotype-based protection.

The current direct competitor is Pfizer's 20-valent pneumococcal protein-conjugated vaccine, Prevnar 20.

With Chong Kun Dang handling domestic sales for Prevnar 20 for adults, marketing competition between the co-promotion partners is expected to intensify.

For Kwangdong Pharmaceutical, the agreement represents more than a simple product addition, as it represents part of its broader effort to build experience in the vaccine business.

Having already established preventive vaccine sales and marketing systems through the co-promotion of Gardasil and Gardasil 9, the company is now positioned to extend that infrastructure to adult pneumococcal vaccines.

Sung-won Choi, CEO of Kwangdong Pharmaceutical, said, “This collaboration will further strengthen our vaccine portfolio and establish a foundation to address broader preventive healthcare needs. Leveraging our differentiated sales infrastructure and expertise, we will support the successful market entry of Capvaxive and continue to enhance our competitiveness in the domestic vaccine market.”

Industry observers view this collaboration as an extension of Kwangdong Pharmaceutical’s ongoing strategic shift.

While maintaining stable cash flows from its beverage and OTC businesses, the company is increasingly expanding its portfolio into high-value-added areas such as prescription drugs and vaccines.

According to the recently disclosed quarterly report (cumulative for Q3 2025), Kwang Dong Pharmaceutical's sales structure is gradually shifting toward a pharmaceutical-centric portfolio.

Reviewing sales and order status, the combined sales of prescription drugs (ETC) and vaccines reached KRW 140.5 billion. This represents approximately 18.3% of the company’s total revenue (KRW 768.5 billion).