High-Profile Announcements from Samsung Biologics, Leading Global CDMO

Over the course of 2020, Samsung Biologics evolved to be one of the leading contract manufacturing organizations in the world. After reporting record growth and sales in 2020, Samsung Biologics has been able to sustain their momentum heading into 2021 with a series of promising new partnerships, projects, and company goals that aim to positively impact clients and patients around the globe.

Remarkable Year in 2020, Engaging in Partnerships with Globally Reputed Companies

In 2020, Samsung Biologics signed numerous contracts with global pharmaceutical companies such as AstraZeneca, GSK and Eli Lilly. The partnership with Lilly specifically, was entered into to accelerate the global supply for Lilly’s COVID-19 antibody therapies through a long-term manufacturing agreement, with the ultimate goal of making antibody treatments more globally accessible for patients.

“Neutralizing antibodies are proving to be a potentially important tool in the fight against COVID-19, and the biopharmaceutical industry is collaborating quickly and effectively to increase the global manufacturing supply,” said David A. Ricks, Lilly’s chairman and CEO. “This agreement with Samsung supplements Lilly’s own internal manufacturing capacity and greatly expands our ability to deliver Lilly antibody therapies to patients around the world.”

High-Profile Partnership with Moderna

Perhaps nothing has made bigger waves in 2021 than Samsung Biologics’ recently announced expanded partnership with Moderna. The COVID-19 developer and the contract manufacturing organization have just agreed to a landmark deal wherein Samsung Biologics will provide fill-finish manufacturing services for Moderna’s COVID-19 vaccine, mRNA-1273.

Technology transfer will begin immediately to start the process of aseptic fill-finish, labelling, and packaging services as Moderna strives to continue producing and distributing hundreds of millions of vaccine doses around the globe.

“This vaccine is paramount to people around the world in the fight against the COVID-19 pandemic, and we truly appreciate our client Moderna for entrusting and choosing to partner with Samsung Biologics for the fill and finish of this important vaccine,” said John Rim, CEO of Samsung Biologics. “Due to the high level of urgency in supplying the vaccine to the global population, we have set immediate action plans and schedule to make mRNA-1273 available for commercial distribution in the early second half of 2021.”

What Comes Next for an Innovative Contract Manufacturing Organization?

For those wondering where Samsung Biologics will go from here, a recent statement by CEO John Rim at an industry event may provide some clues.

“We will look beyond the next decade,” he said, “and evolve as the global top-tier biopharmaceutical company by securing future growth engines with continued investment and expansion in capacity, portfolio, and our own global footprint.”