4 May 2026 — The International Vaccine Institute (IVI) and Hilleman Laboratories have entered into a strategic partnership to collaborate on vaccines and biologics addressing global public health needs. Bringing together two leading product development partnerships headquartered in Asia, this partnership aims to accelerate the development of life-saving solutions and strengthen global capacity to respond to current and future disease threats, particularly in underserved regions.

Under the Strategic Partnership Agreement, the organizations—headquartered in Seoul, Republic of Korea, and Singapore, respectively—will leverage complementary expertise to jointly design and implement projects spanning early research through clinical development, advancing candidates toward technology transfer, manufacturing, and broader access.

The agreement was signed in person on 4 May 2026 at IVI headquarters in Seoul, Republic of Korea, by Dr. Jerome H. Kim and Raman Rao, Chief Executive Officer of Hilleman Laboratories.

Dr. Jerome H. Kim, Director General of IVI, said: “This strategic partnership with Hilleman Laboratories reflects our shared commitment to advancing vaccines and biologics that address pressing global health challenges, the strategic complementarity of our capabilities, and the substantial alignment of our visions for Global Health. By combining our expertise and networks, we can accelerate innovation and help ensure that life-saving interventions reach those who need them most.”

Raman Rao, Chief Executive Officer of Hilleman Laboratories, said: “This agreement envisions a more integrated path from early research into clinical development, bolstered by IVI’s global clinical and public health capabilities and Hilleman’s strengths in product development and technology transfer. Our intent is to advance candidates toward scalable manufacturing pathways, and ultimately enable wider access to these innovations, especially in low- and middle-income countries.”

IVI is an international organization with a mission to discover, develop, and deliver safe, effective, and affordable vaccines—empowering vaccine equity, impact, and sustainability globally. Hilleman Laboratories was established in 2009 as an equal joint venture between Merck Sharp & Dohme Corp. (MSD), a global research-driven pharmaceutical company, and Wellcome Trust, a global charitable foundation dedicated to human and animal health. Hilleman Laboratories’ mission is to develop affordable vaccines and biologics against infectious diseases that affect low- and middle-income countries.