Following successful validation, Samsung BioLogics announced it had started production at its third plant earlier this month.
The $740m (€639m) facility has a mammalian cell culture capacity of 180,000L, bringing the contract development and manufacturing organisation’s (CDMO) total capacity to 360,000L in Songdo, Incheon.
According to CEO TH Kim, the third plant is 20% larger and has 60% more facilities than its second, which opened last year.
The added scale provides a major advantage when compared to competitors’ operations, said Kim at CPhI Worldwide this week.
“[A total capacity of] 360,000L is the world’s largest manufacturing capacity among contract manufacturing providers,” he told delegates in Madrid, Spain.
“My competitors, Lonza and Boehringer, are providing around 250-260,000L,” he added.
According to Kim, Samsung BioLogics’ construction timeline is 50% shorter and capital expenditure per manufacturing plant typically 50% less than its rivals.
Expansion plans
Despite having just opened its third facility, Kim told us the CDMO is already contemplating a fourth plant in Incheon.
“We are seriously watching for the right timing of investment for plant number four….and number five, and number six,” he said.
Whereas the company has space for a fourth plant on-site, more terrain would be required for additional facilities, he added: “We are seriously considering buying more land. Our plant site is almost occupied.”