Baek Byung-yeul is a journalist at The Korea Times focused on cultural content, including films and cultural events in South Korea. You can contact him at baekby@koreatimes.co.kr to share your insights.
Samsung on course to produce Moderna vaccine: CEO
Samsung Biologics CEO John Rim, left, and Moderna CEO Stephane Bancel, exchange agreements during a vaccine partnership event at a hotel in Washington, D.C., May 22, with President Moon Jae-in in attendance. Yonhap
By Baek Byung-yeul
By Baek Byung-yeul
Samsung Biologics is on course to manufacture U.S. biotech firm Moderna's COVID-19 vaccine, its CEO John Rim said, highlighting the global bio industry's efforts in the battle against the pandemic.
“As most recently announced, we are fully committed to leveraging our experience in manufacturing technologies to support the aseptic fill and finish of Moderna's mRNA-1273 vaccine with quality, speed and efficiency to aid in the fight against this global crisis,” Rim said during the BIO Digital event online, Tuesday.
BIO Digital is a virtual version of the BIO International Convention, a major trading conference in the biotech industry.
Samsung has taken part in the annual event since its establishment in 2011 and has met with its clients online since the conference was converted to a virtual format last year due to the COVID-19 pandemic. This year's event kicked off on June 10 and will run until June 18.
The drug-manufacturing arm of Samsung Group inked a deal with Moderna during President Moon Jae-in's visit to Washington, D.C., in May. Moderna produces its COVID-19 vaccine using messenger RNA (mRNA) technology. Under the contract, Samsung will roll out hundreds of millions of doses of Moderna's COVID-19 vaccine starting in the third quarter of this year.
At a time when Korea has gone all out to increase COVID-19 vaccination rates, the deal will clearly help the country secure enough vaccine supplies. Health authorities here said they are talking with Moderna to use its vaccines produced in Korea for distribution to Koreans.
The CEO added that Samsung Biologics will construct an additional facility to produce mRNA drug substances for the Moderna vaccine.
“We will also be adding a dedicated production suite for mRNA bulk drug substance to our existing facility by the first half of 2022, which will enable us to rapidly manufacture and supply future vaccines and treatments against multiple targets,” Rim said.
A vial of Moderna's COVID-19 vaccine / AFP-Yonhap
Securing the mRNA vaccine manufacturing deal would apparently help expand the company's business portfolio, industry officials said. Samsung Biologics entered the contract manufacturing industry in 2011.
As the global biopharmaceutical market grows, the role of contract-based drug manufacturing and development is becoming more important than ever. To meet growing demand, Samsung Biologics has been widening its business scope since 2018 to become a contract development organization (CDO), which is a contract-based end-to-end biopharmaceutical project running drug development procedures from laboratory research to clinical trials.
“In response to increasing worldwide demand for biopharmaceuticals, Samsung Biologics has been taking a preemptive approach to actively accommodate the evolving needs of the industry through continuous innovation and investments including the addition of its fourth and largest plant, a San Francisco R&D Center, and mRNA vaccine drug substance manufacturing and filling capabilities,” the company said.
To meet demand from more clients, other Samsung Biologics officials will also take part in the conference. The company said Joon Chang, senior director of global sales and operations, will deliver a presentation during a fireside chat, June 16 (U.S. Eastern Time), on the emerging trends of the contract development and manufacturing organization (CDMO) industry and partnerships.
Also this week, Sam Machour, senior vice president and chief quality officer at Samsung Biologics, joined Dan Stanton of BioProcess International in an on-demand interview, discussing how both Samsung Biologics and the CDMO sector have responded rapidly to the biopharmaceutical industry's COVID-19 challenges.