Tuesday, November 17, 2020

Samsung Biologics to manufacture COVID-19 drug for Eli Lilly

 


As reported by The Korea Herald, Samsung Biologics  (one unit shown in photo--click for a full size version)announced today that it has signed a long-term agreement with US pharmaceutical firm Eli Lilly and Company to manufacture a novel coronavirus-neutralizing antibody.  As mentioned in previous posts, I can see Samsung Biologics from my apartment on the Incheon Global campus.  The three units already in operation already gives it the largest capacity in the world to manufacture biosimilar drugs.  As mentioned in The Korea Herald, "Along with being a contract management organization CMO, Samsung Biologics engages in the contract development organization (CDO) and contract research organization (CRO) sectors. It has three plants in Incheon, which can crank out 362,000 liters of biosimilars per year, the world's largest volume."   

Also noted in the article, "In August, the company said it will build a fourth plant in the country in response to rising manufacturing demand. The 1.7 trillion-won ($1.4 billion) plant in Incheon will have a bioreactor capacity of 256,000 liters, the company said in a regulatory filing. With the fourth plant's completion, Samsung Biologics will secure a combined bioreactor capacity of 620,000 liters, making it the largest CMO facility at a single location in the world. (Yonhap)"    Construction of the fourth plant here in Songdo seems to be well underway, based on the appearance of a very large construction crane earlier this fall.

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