Nam Hyun-woo has worked as a staff writer at The Korea Times since 2013, mostly covering business and politics. He currently belongs to the Business Desk where he covers topics such as emerging tech, AI, ICT and Korea's chaebol community. Prior to joining the team, he was the paper's correspondent for the presidential office of Korea during the Yoon Suk Yeol and Moon Jae-in administrations.
Samsung Biologics expands portfolio with organoids
A promotion image of Samsung Biologics' drug candidate screening service, Samsung Organoids / Courtesy of Samsung Biologics
By Nam Hyun-woo
Samsung Biologics said Monday it launched a drug candidate screening service to support clients in drug discovery and development, expanding its portfolio beyond contract development and manufacturing of biologics to include contract research.
According to the company, it launched Samsung Organoids, a drug screening service using organoids. By engaging with clients from the early stages of drug candidate discovery, the company aims to have clients locked into its services ranging from contract development to manufacturing and research.
Organoids are 3D miniaturized organ models derived from stem cells or tissue cells, thus mimicking the structure, organization and some functions of human organs.
They are gaining industry attention as tools for research and drug development as they offer a cost-effective alternative to traditional testing methods while providing up to 85 percent patient similarity. This enables faster and more precise assessment of a drug candidate’s efficacy and toxicity.
Samsung Biologics will begin its organoid services by screening anti-cancer drug candidates using cancer-derived organoids. The company aims to replace conventional screening methods that rely on cell or animal models, which are often limited by low patient relevance, high costs and ethical issues.
The company said it will provide high-quality organoid services based on its Good Manufacturing Practice operations, which have received 359 approvals from global authorities including the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and the European Medicines Agency.
According to market tracker Research and Markets, the global patient-derived organoid market will grow at an average of 22 percent annually from $1 billion in 2024 to $3.3 billion in 2030. The growth could become sharper, because the FDA in April proposed organoids as an alternative to animal testing.
With the launch of its organoid service, Samsung Biologics will expand its business to include preclinical research, with service offerings spanning target discovery, lead selection, preclinical development and clinical trial planning.
“The latest service launch reflects our unwavering commitment to driving innovation by improving drug success rates and creating new possibilities in personalized medicine,” Samsung Biologics CEO John Rim said. “The addition of research services is a significant move for us to create added value for clients by supporting the drug life cycle from start to finish with thorough therapeutic analysis.”