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 takes over bio plant in Maryland from GSK
Human Genome Sciences' manufacturing facility in Rockville, Md. / Courtesy of Samsung Biologics
By Nam Hyun-woo
Contract manufacturer secures first US facility
Contract biopharmaceutical manufacturer Samsung Biologics has secured its first manufacturing base in the United States, acquiring the plant of Human Genome Sciences from global drug giant GSK for $280 million.
Samsung Biologics said Monday that its U.S. unit, Samsung Biologics America, has signed a deal to acquire a 100 percent stake in Human Genome Sciences. The transaction is set to close within the first quarter of next year.
Located in Rockville, Md, the plant has an annual manufacturing capacity of 60,000 liters of drug substances, supporting both clinical and commercial production across a range of scales, from small to large.
Existing products will continue to be manufactured at the site, and Samsung Biologics plans to make additional investments to expand the site’s capacity and upgrade the technology. The company said it will retain more than 500 employees at the site to ensure operational continuity and stability.
Upon completion of the deal, Samsung Biologics will have established its first manufacturing presence in the world’s largest pharmaceutical market. Until now, the company has relied exclusively on production facilities in Korea, leaving its supply chain exposed to the Donald Trump administration’s tariff measures.
With the takeover, Samsung Biologics will be able to provide clients with more flexible multi-site manufacturing options in both the U.S. and Korea, strengthening collaboration with North American customers and enhancing its ability to respond to regional changes in the supply environment.
Samsung Biologics on Monday also announced three contract manufacturing organization contracts with European pharmaceutical companies worth a combined 1.22 trillion won ($825.7 million). The contracts are believed to be existing production volumes transferred along with the acquisition of the Rockville plant. By taking over both the plant and its order backlog, the company secured a certain level of utilization immediately after the acquisition.
“This landmark acquisition is a testament to our unwavering commitment to advancing global health care and bolstering our manufacturing capabilities in the U.S.,” Samsung Biologics CEO John Rim said.
“The investment will enable us to deepen our collaboration with federal, state and local stakeholders to best serve our customers and partners while ensuring a reliable and stable supply of life-saving therapeutics.”
Samsung Biologics is currently capable of manufacturing a total of 785,000 liters of therapeutics at its five plants in Incheon.