[Edaily Reporter Park Jeong-soo] #PopBiotech, a U.S.-based subsidiary of Y-Biologics, will receive approximately 15 billion won in additional R&D funding from the Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations (CEPI), a global organization dedicated to combating infectious diseases.

Yubiologics announced on the 5th that its U.S. biotech subsidiary, PopBiotech, will receive up to $9.7 million (approximately 15 billion won) in R&D funding from CEPI. The funds are expected to be used to advance PopBiotech’s next-generation nanoparticle vaccine platform, “SNAP,” for the development of an avian influenza (H5N1) vaccine candidate and to proceed with a Phase 1 clinical trial in the U.S.
PopBioTech is a biotech company based at the University at Buffalo in New York, USA, developing vaccines and immunotherapies using porphyrin-phospholipid (PoP) liposome technology. Y-Biologics holds a 23% stake in the company.
SNAP (Spontaneous Nanoliposome Antigen Particleization) is a platform technology that binds antigens to the surface of liposome nanoparticles to enhance the immune response. It simplifies antigen purification and vaccine manufacturing processes, thereby accelerating development and improving production efficiency, and is considered advantageous for rapid vaccine development during infectious disease outbreaks.
This funding follows an initial research grant of $1.5 million provided by CEPI in July of last year. CEPI plans to verify whether the SNAP platform can also be utilized for the development of vaccines against “Disease X,” a term referring to unknown emerging infectious diseases.
YuBioLogics also expects to benefit from this funding. The company established YuPop Life Sciences in partnership with PopBioTech to secure the SNAP technology and is currently developing therapeutic vaccines for respiratory syncytial virus (RSV), shingles, and Alzheimer’s disease by combining it with its proprietary immune-enhancing technology, ‘EuIMT.’
A representative from Y-Biologics stated, “CEPI’s follow-up support serves as a reaffirmation by a global public health organization of the technical potential of the SNAP platform,” adding, “If entry into Phase 1 clinical trials in the U.S. becomes a reality, we expect this to have a positive impact on our strategy for developing premium vaccines and entering the global market.”