Dong-A and Meiji Seika to build biosimilars plant

South Korean drugmaker Dong-A and Japan’s Meiji Seika Pharma will build a biosimilars plant in a bid to target the global Ab-based drug market.

The new 145,200sqm facility in Songdo, South Korea and will house R&D units in addition to manufacturing suites.

Dong-A said the facility will focus on the development of three biosimilar drug products, one of which will be a version of the breast cancer treatment Herceptin, tries of which are scheduled to begin later this year.

Dong-A also plans additional investment in Songdo to export biopharmaceutical products such as PEG-G-CSF for neutropenia, interferon beta, and diabetes treatments in Dong-A's current pipeline.

The firms are also seeking to establish a joint-venture entity to oversee operations at the site when construction is completed in 2014, although this is still under discussion.