Samsung Biologics, a Songdo, Incheon, Korea-based contract biologics manufacturer, is moving ahead with major biomanufacturing expansions: a new multi-modal facility, addition of mRNA capacity, and a new large-scale biomanufacturing plant. Pierre Catignol, Executive Vice President & Head of Manufacturing Center, Samsung Biologics, provided an update at the DCAT Member Company Announcement Forum held March 21, 2022 at DCAT Week 2022.

Samsung Biologics is constructing a fourth biomanufacturing plant, called its “super plant,” with 256,000 liters of production capacity, which upon completion, will provide the company with total biomanufacturing capacity of 620,000 L. Construction is well on track, and the facility will be partially operational by October 2022. By May 2022, all utilities are expected to be ready for the trial run of manufacturing equipment. Full completion of the facility is targeted for 2023.

In January 2022, Samsung Biologics announced plans to start construction of a new manufacturing facility (Plant 5) in Songdo for multi-modal products, including cell and gene therapies and vaccines using mRNA, pDNA, and viral vectors, all at a single site.

As for mRNA capabilities, Samsung Biologics is currently manufacturing drug product of mRNA vaccines, and a mRNA drug-substance production line was recently added to its existing facility in Songdo, which will be ready for cGMP operations by the second quarter of 2022. The scope of mRNA production will include fully integrated process development, process characterization, and analytical testing solutions for mRNA GMP manufacturing.

The company is further looking into securing additional sites within Songdo for its second bio campus, and also overseas in multiple locations for expansion.