Samba Becomes the "Attack on Titan," Seizing CMO Dominance with Overwhelming Productivity

Completion of Plant 4... World's Largest Scale at 240,000ℓ
Securing 600,000ℓ Production Capacity Next Year to Cement CMO No.1

Pursuing MMP and 2nd Campus Establishment
Planning to Complete 'Super Gap' with Total 1.6 Million ℓ Production Capacity

Preparing to Establish Overseas Production Bases

On the afternoon of the 11th, Lee Jae-yong, Vice Chairman of Samsung Electronics (second from the left), who attended the completion ceremony of Samsung Biologics Plant 4, is applauding together with Ko Han-seung, President of Samsung Bioepis, John Rim, President of Samsung Biologics, and Choi Sung-an, President of Samsung Engineering (from left). Photo by Samsung Electronics

[Asia Economy Reporter Lee Chun-hee] Samsung Biologics has started operating its 4th plant, which will serve as a stepping stone toward becoming a top-tier global Contract Development and Manufacturing Organization (CDMO). By next year, it plans to establish an annual production capacity of 600,000 liters, further expanding domestic production capacity by about 1 million liters, and then securing overseas production bases to achieve an 'ultra-gap' in the bio market.

Samsung Biologics announced on the afternoon of the 11th that it held the completion ceremony for the 4th plant at its Songdo campus in Yeonsu-gu, Incheon, attended by Samsung Electronics Vice Chairman Lee Jae-yong and others.

The 4th plant began partial operations on the 1st of this month, and once fully operational next year, it will have an annual production capacity of 240,000 liters of biopharmaceuticals. It is the largest single plant in the world.

Samsung Biologics plans to further solidify its title as the world's number one in Contract Manufacturing Organization (CMO) production capacity through the 4th plant. Previously, combining the 1st plant (30,000 liters), 2nd plant (154,000 liters), and 3rd plant (180,000 liters), it had maintained the top production capacity at 364,000 liters, but with the full operation of the 4th plant next year, it will have a production capacity of 600,000 liters. This accounts for about 30% of global CMO production volume.

Compared to other competitors, it will hold an overwhelming advantage. Besides Samsung Biologics, only Swiss Lonza and German Boehringer Ingelheim have production capacities exceeding 300,000 liters worldwide. However, their production capacities remain around 300,000 liters.

In addition, Samsung Biologics has secured a 10,000㎡ site for a Multimodal Plant (MMP) nearby and purchased a 357,366㎡ site for establishing a 2nd campus for 426 billion KRW to expand its factories. The 2nd campus, which is expected to cost about 7.5 trillion KRW, will house four plants named the 5th to 9th plants. If all these plants are built at the scale of the 4th plant, a production capacity of about 1 million liters will be secured. Combined with the 1st campus, the total production capacity will reach an impressive 1.6 million liters. Additionally, an Open Innovation Center and global research and development analysis facilities will be established at the 2nd campus to strengthen overall research and development capabilities.

The MMP, aimed at securing various modalities (therapeutic approaches), is also scheduled to begin construction within this year. This 'multi-modal' plant, capable of producing various types of biopharmaceuticals in a single facility, is expected to serve as a base to expand the current business portfolio centered on antibody drug CMO to include cell and gene therapies (CGT) based on messenger RNA (mRNA), plasmid DNA (pDNA), and viral vectors.

Samsung Biologics is also considering securing overseas production bases in the United States and Europe. John Rim, CEO of Samsung Biologics, recently stated in an interview with the U.S. pharmaceutical magazine Pierce Pharma, "Considering that most CDMO businesses are located in Europe and the U.S., we are reviewing expansion on all fronts." This appears to take into account the U.S. government's recent executive order emphasizing domestic manufacturing of the bioindustry under the 'National Biotechnology and Biomanufacturing Initiative.'

Previously, CEO Rim also mentioned that Texas, California, and North Carolina are being considered as major candidates for factory establishment. However, since Samsung Biologics continues to emphasize a 'speed race' and highlights Korea's advantages over overseas locations in terms of cost and establishment period, it is currently known to be only in the review stage.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.