Samsung Biologics Unveils High-Concentration Drug CDO Platform 'S-HiCon'

Samsung Biologics announced on the 14th that it has newly launched the high-concentration formulation development platform 'S-HiCon'.

Samsung Biologics' new CDO platform 'S-HiCon'
Photo by Samsung Biologics

Samsung Biologics first unveiled S-HiCon at 'BIO JAPAN 2024,' held from the 9th to the 11th in Yokohama, Japan. Samsung Biologics promoted S-HiCon to clients and visitors through brochures, banners, and other promotional materials. On the 14th, the company announced the launch by releasing a webinar video explaining S-HiCon on its official website.

Samsung Biologics explained that it launched S-HiCon to proactively respond to the rapidly growing demand in the high-concentration drug market. High-concentration formulation drugs require a smaller dosage than low-concentration drugs to achieve the same efficacy, making them suitable for developing subcutaneous injections or ocular injections. Additionally, storage and transportation costs can be reduced, leading to a significant increase in demand recently.

Developing high-concentration formulation drugs involves challenges such as increased viscosity and changes in hydrogen ion concentration. However, Samsung Biologics solved these issues by carefully selecting excipients that influence viscosity and hydrogen ion concentration, successfully accumulating development data for ultra-high-concentration formulations exceeding 200 mg/mL. Typically, formulations with concentrations above 150 mg/mL are considered high-concentration, and those above 200 mg/mL are regarded as ultra-high-concentration formulations.

Furthermore, before entering the full formulation development stage, Samsung Biologics added a concentration gate check step to verify whether the desired concentration can be achieved, thereby reducing the risk of failure in high-concentration formulation development.

Samsung Biologics expects to provide enhanced contract development (CDO) services by expanding its formulation development capabilities from low to ultra-high concentrations through S-HiCon. With the unveiling of S-HiCon, Samsung Biologics will have launched a total of four CDO platforms this year. The total number of CDO technology platforms now reaches nine. Earlier, at the 'BIO USA 2024' held in San Diego, USA, in June, the company introduced 'S-Tensify,' a high-concentration cell culture development support platform. Subsequently, at the '2024 BioProcess International (BPI)' held last month in Boston, USA, Samsung Biologics unveiled 'S-Afucho,' which enhances the anticancer effects of antibodies, and 'S-Opticharge,' which supports high-quality protein production.

Min Hoseong, Vice President and Head of the CDO Development Center at Samsung Biologics, said, "By providing formulation development services from low to high concentrations as desired by our clients, we expect various formulations of drugs to enter the market more quickly. We will continue to develop innovative technologies and services to offer customized services to our clients."

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