[Bio Japan] Korean, Chinese, and Japanese CDMOs Gather to Fill Japan's 'Manufacturing Gap'

Bio Japan 2025 Opens in Yokohama on October 8
Samsung Biologics, Lotte Biologics,
Fujifilm, Wuxi, and Other Leading CDMOs from Korea, China, and Japan Participate
Japanese Biotech Demonstrates New Drug Development Capabilities with Products Like

At "Bio Japan 2025," Asia's largest pharmaceutical and bio exhibition, leading CDMO (Contract Development and Manufacturing Organization) companies from Korea, China, and Japan have launched efforts to penetrate the Japanese market.

The Bio Japan exhibition, held on October 8 at the Pacifico Yokohama Convention Center in Japan, saw participation from more than 1,200 companies and research institutions worldwide, up from 1,052 the previous year. Over 100 Korean companies and institutions also took part, including both exhibition and business meetings. Amid growing policy uncertainties such as discussions on U.S. pharmaceutical tariffs, major CDMO companies from Korea, China, and Japan are competing for a share of the Japanese and broader Asian markets.

On the 8th, visitors are seen talking with company representatives at the Samsung Biologics booth participating in 'Bio Japan 2025,' Asia's largest pharmaceutical and bio exhibition, which opened in Yokohama, Japan. Samsung Biologics

The Japanese pharmaceutical and bio market is valued at $87 billion (approximately 121 trillion won), ranking as the third largest in the world. While Japan has demonstrated its new drug development capabilities, as seen with the development of the ADC (antibody-drug conjugate) cancer therapy "Enhertu," its biopharmaceutical manufacturing capacity remains significantly lacking. Fujifilm, Japan's leading CDMO, has large-scale production bases in Europe and the United States, but notably lacks any large-scale manufacturing facilities within Japan itself. As a result, CDMOs have been actively seeking collaborations with Japan's major pharmaceutical companies and promising biotech firms from the clinical trial stage onward.

Korean companies with robust manufacturing infrastructure, such as Samsung Biologics and Lotte Biologics, have stood out in their efforts to enter the Japanese market. Samsung Biologics, which boasts the world's largest production capacity, set up a 36-square-meter independent booth at the center of the exhibition hall, drawing significant attention. The company showcased its world-leading 784,000-liter production capacity, its newly completed Plant 5 (180,000 liters) this year, and a dedicated ADC production line. Early last month, Samsung Biologics signed a massive CMO contract worth about 1.8 trillion won with a U.S. pharmaceutical company, bringing its cumulative orders for the year to over 5 trillion won. The company explained, "We are emphasizing our one-stop CDMO competitiveness from CDO (contract development) to commercialization, aiming to secure new orders in the Japanese market."

On the 8th, visitors lined up in long queues to enter the Asia's largest pharmaceutical and bio exhibition, "Bio Japan 2025," which opened in Yokohama, Japan. Photo by Jung Donghoon

Lotte Biologics, which doubled the size of its independent booth compared to last year, held collaboration meetings even before the official opening. A company representative stated, "Once the 120,000-liter Plant 1 in Songdo is added to the 40,000 liters at the Syracuse, U.S. site in 2027, we will have a clear transition structure linking clinical and large-scale production," adding, "We aim to showcase our dual-site competitiveness." Stephanie Wickham, Senior Director of Business Development at the Syracuse plant in the U.S., said, "Syracuse's strengths include regulatory approvals in over 62 countries and extensive experience in technology transfer for various substances. Since Lotte Biologics' acquisition, we have established ADC facilities, enabling us to respond to the entire value chain from commercial production to ADCs."

Kyungbo Pharmaceutical, the ADC CDMO subsidiary of Chong Kun Dang, also set up a booth at Bio Japan to target the Japanese market. Lee Taekyung, Head of the ADC Research Center at Kyungbo Pharmaceutical, commented, "Japan's pharmaceutical and bio industry is gaining momentum with the emergence of blockbusters like Enhertu. Kyungbo Pharmaceutical plans to expand as a preclinical-focused ADC CDMO, starting from linker and payload development."

On the 8th, at the Asia's largest pharmaceutical and bio exhibition 'Bio Japan 2025' held in Yokohama, Japan, representatives from the U.S. Cycyrus factory are explaining the CDMO competitiveness at the Lotte Biologics booth. Photo by Jung Donghoon

Fujifilm, Japan's leading player, also set up a booth at the center of the exhibition hall to welcome visitors. Nicole Zhang Liwen, Director of Commercial Development, stated on site, "Our Denmark production plant will expand from 12 to 20 20,000-liter bioreactors by next year, and our North Carolina facility in the U.S. will double from 8 to 16 reactors by 2028, reaching a total capacity of 320,000 liters. Both sites are among the largest in Europe and the Americas, and especially in the U.S., the reshoring trend and other policy changes have led to a notable increase in production inquiries from clients." Fujifilm promoted its integrated lifecycle model, "Partners for Life," highlighting the establishment of a "Japanese-style ecosystem" from drug candidate discovery to clinical development, manufacturing, and supply.

Wuxi Biologics, China's leading CDMO, also made a strong impression at Bio Japan. Makoto Kitano, Director of Japan Business Development at Wuxi AppTec, noted, "Japanese biotech companies excel in innovative new drugs and have demonstrated high potential in new modalities such as ADCs. Wuxi aims to expand collaboration with Japanese and Asian clients by combining our strengths in innovative modality development and process expertise."

On the 8th, at the Asia's largest pharmaceutical and bio exhibition "Bio Japan 2025" held in Yokohama, Japan, officials at the UshibioLogics booth are welcoming visitors. Photo by Jeong Donghoon