Celltrion to invest $805 mil. for Incheon facility expansion

Celltrion headquarters in Incheon / Courtesy of Celltrion

Celltrion will invest 1.2 trillion won ($805 million) to expand its drug substance production facility at its headquarters in Incheon, while setting the expansion capacity at its U.S. production site at 75,000 liters per year, bringing the company’s total annual production capacity to 570,000 liters.

Celltrion said Tuesday the investment will be carried out in multiple phases from this year through 2030, describing it as a mid- to long-term growth initiative aimed at ensuring stable production and supply of next-generation biosimilars and drugs under development.

At its Songdo campus in Incheon, Celltrion will invest 1.2 trillion won to establish Plants 4 and 5, which will have a combined annual production capacity of 180,000 liters of drug substances.

Plants 4 and 5 will be equipped with automation systems and smart factory technologies to maximize production efficiency and flexibility, enabling both small-batch, multi-product manufacturing and large-scale mass production. This will allow the company to respond more quickly to production needs for its current key products as well as next-generation biosimilars and new drugs, the company said.

Celltrion also said the production capacity of its facility in Branchburg, New Jersey, will be expanded by 75,000 liters, up from the initial plan of 66,000 liters, bringing the site’s total drug substance production capacity to 141,000 liters.

Upon the completion of the proposed expansions, Celltrion’s drug substance capacity will reach 571,000 liters per year, up from the current 316,000 liters. The company said it aims to achieve full internalization of drug substance production following the expansion.

Along with drug substances, the company said it will also invest in drug product manufacturing. A new drug product production facility under construction at its Songdo campus has already reached over 70-percent completion and is scheduled to launch full-scale commercial production next year.

Once completed, the facility will be capable of producing 6.5 million liquid vials annually. Combined with the existing drug product production line at Plant 2, which has a maximum annual capacity of 4 million vials, Celltrion will secure a total drug product production capacity of 10.5 million vials at its Songdo campus.

Meanwhile, a new drug product plant set to be built in the Yesan Industrial Complex in South Chungcheong Province has already secured its site and its design work will begin this year.

Once the Yesan plant is completed, along with the planned expansion of Celltrion Pharm’s pre-filled syringes production facility, the Celltrion Group expects to internalize around 90 percent of its global drug product demand, significantly reducing production costs compared to overseas rivals.

“The investments will enable the company to respond more swiftly to rapidly growing global demand for biopharmaceuticals, while also serving as a catalyst to significantly improve profitability based on strong cost competitiveness and enhanced supply stability,” a Celltrion official said.