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Celltrion chairman says to venture into CDMO market

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Seo Jung-jin (center) speaks at Morgan Stanley 22nd Annual Global Healthcre Conference (Courtesy of Celltrion)

South Korea’s biosimilar maker Celltrion Inc. will venture into the contract development and manufacturing organization (CDMO) market, the company said on Monday, citing its founder and Chairman Seo Jung-jin as saying at Morgan Stanley 22nd Annual Global Healthcare Conference last week.

Seo said in the conference in New York that it was seeking to establish a wholly owned subsidiary in charge of the CDMO business, without elaborating further.

The CDMO market is emerging as a blue ocean for domestic biologics companies, including Samsung Biologics Co., Lotte Biologics Co. and stem-cell therapy company Medipost Co.

A NEW PLANT CONSTRUCTION

Celltrion also plans to build a new factory to expand production and will make a decision by the end of this year to buy a plot of land for a new plant construction at home or abroad.

Seo said facility expansion will bolster its competitiveness in the antibody biosimilar market  from development to clinical test, production, new drug application and sales.

Celltrion is poised to start commercial operating of its third plant in December this year.

At the conference, his eldest son and Celltrion CEO Seo Jin-seok also delivered a presentation and said it will reveal two new antibody-drug conjugates (ADCs) within the year and launch their clinical tests next year.

It is aiming to commercialize one of its three new ADCs and three new multiple antibody drugs under development by 2029.

For biosimilar products, it aims to obtain approval for 11 types of products by 2025 and build a portfolio of 22 biosimilar candidates by 2030 to expand beyond autoimmune diseases into asthma, urticaria, eye disease and metabolic bone disease.

Celltrion forecasts Zymfentra, an FDA-approved subcutaneous injection formulation for autoimmune diseases, to generate 250 billion won ($186 million) in sales this year.

Zymfentra (infliximab), has been made onto the insurance-covered drug lists by three major US Prescription Benefit Managers (PBMs) after its US launch in March.

Chairman Seo expects the company will rake in 3.5 trillion won in sales and 5 trillion won in 2025, compared with 2.2 trillion won in 2023.

He reiterated it has been in the hunt for M&A targets to grow into a big global big pharmaceutical company.

By Dae-Kyu Ahn

powerzanic@hankyung.com 

Yeonhee Kim edited this article

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