“Ahead of partial operation of the world’s largest 4th factory in the second half of this year”
“Starting full-scale production of mRNA vaccine raw materials…Provide one-stop service”
With the acquisition of Samsung Bioepis shares, Samsung Biologics announced its ambition to become a global comprehensive bio company equipped with three major pillars: CDMO, biosimilar (generic biopharmaceutical), and new drug.
Samsung Biologics CEO John Lim took the chair at the general shareholders’ meeting held at the Global Campus in Yeonsu-gu, Incheon on the morning of the 29th and announced business results and plans so far.
President Lim said, “Despite the spread of Corona 19, the company achieved sales and operating profit, which increased by 35% and 84%, respectively, from the previous year by increasing orders and increasing the utilization rate of the 3rd plant.”
According to President Lim, the existing plants 1, 2, and 3 all maintain a high utilization rate that is close to full operation, and the fourth plant, the world’s largest single plant, is scheduled for partial operation in the second half of this year.
It is already taking orders in advance, including signing contracts to produce five products with three global Big Pharma.
Following the fourth plant, the company plans to start construction of a ‘multi-modal’ plant that can produce messenger ribonucleic acid (mRNA), plasmid DNA (pDNA), and cell gene therapy all in one plant.
In addition, Samsung Biologics is pushing to secure a site for the second bio-campus in Songdo with a size of 100,000 pyeong.
On the same day, the company announced that it had been selected as the preferred bidder for the land contract for the Songdo International City High-tech Industrial Cluster.
The land sale contract is scheduled to be concluded in April this year, and the expected acquisition date is April 30, 2025, after the purchase price is paid in full.
The acquisition price is about 426 billion won.
President Lim introduced the results of Moderna’s contract for the consignment production of finished COVID-19 vaccine drugs in May of last year and received the item approval from the Ministry of Food and Drug Safety in December. We will provide a service that supports you step by step),” he said.
President Lim emphasized, “Through the acquisition of shares in Samsung Bioepis, we will leap forward as a global comprehensive bio company equipped with three major pillars: CDMO, biosimilar, and new drug.”
President Lim also said, “We will continue to innovate the (pharmaceutical) production process to increase speed and quality.”
According to President Lim, the company reduced the moderna vaccine consignment production process, which took an average of more than six months, to three months, and also shortened the period for Eli Lilly’s Corona 19 antibody treatment technology introduction to three months.
In addition, President Lim promised to implement a capital increase of 3 trillion won this year and to consider implementing cash dividends after 2025, saying, “We will make sure that the company’s profitability expansion will lead to the improvement of shareholder value.”
/yunhap news
