Samsung Biologics says Plant 4 to be partially operational by end of year

CEO John Rim speaking at the company's 11th Annual General Meeting of Shareholders last Tuesday

Construction of Plant 4 – dubbed Super Plant – will be complete in 2023 

Plant 4 is located in the Songdo district of Incheon, South Korea and will boast 256,000 liters total manufacturing capacity once completed, bringing the CDMO’s overall capacity to 620,000 liters. The 238,000-square-meter floorplan makes it the world's largest biopharmaceutical manufacturing facility of its kind.  

The company already has a slate of deals lined up for the plant, having secured CMO contracts with three companies for five different products.   

Speaking to CPHI Online, CEO John Rim said the new facility would help to meet increasing demand for biologics. 

He said: "By utilizing Plant 4, the company aims to meet the increasing demand of manufacturing for large-scale biologics for a wide array of diseases, tailoring the services to the clients’ specific needs. 

Having advanced smart plant technologies and flexible scale of capabilities will allow us to provide stable supply for our clients and ultimately contribute to saving the lives of patients". 

Rim also addressed Plant 4 progress at last week's 11th Annual General Meeting of Shareholders, where he announced a three-pronged approach to corporate growth.  

In an address to shareholders, he said “We are now venturing into the three core pillars of our multidimensional growth plan, encompassing expanded manufacturing capacity, continued advancements in business portfolio, and greater global footprint”.  

The company is expected to begin construction on its fifth plant (Plant 5) this year, described by Rim as a “multi modal plant” where “we will offer services beyond the traditional mammalian monoclonal antibodies production”. The plant will also be based in Incheon and is expected to include mRNA vaccine drug substance production capabilities.  

Last year the company secured a contract to perform fill-finish manufacturing of Moderna’s COVID-19 vaccine, but Samsung says the mRNA drug substance expansion is unrelated to this deal.  

Additionally, the company plans to purchase land for a second Bio Campus with an expected land mass 30% greater than its current campus (Bio Campus I) in Songdo, for the construction of future large scale plants and an Open Innovation Center.