Samsung BioLogics secures partnership in Taiwan

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Samsung BioLogics secures partnership in Taiwan

Samsung BioLogics has signed its first contract development partnership in the Greater China region as the company works to expand its presence in the overseas market.

The company announced Tuesday that it has entered an agreement with Taipei, Taiwan-based Aprinoia Therapeutics to develop its anti-tau monoclonal antibody candidate in treating some neurodegenerative diseases, including Alzheimer’s disease.

Under the contract development organization (CDO) agreement, Samsung BioLogics will lead cell line development, process development and the manufacturing of the anti-tau monoclonal antibody for non-clinical and clinical studies through filing the investigational new drug application.

Samsung BioLogics hopes its partnership with Aprinoia Therapeutics will help the company secure additional contracts in the Greater China region. The company said it is in discussions with more than 20 companies in the region for possible partnerships.

Overseas expansion has been a key area of focus for Samsung BioLogics.

With all of its facilities currently in Incheon, the company plans to expand to San Francisco next month with the creation of a new CDO research lab. Since its founding in 2011, Samsung BioLogics has won 48 CDO contracts, and aims to win 18 more this year.

Its latest partnership with Aprinoia Therapeutics is also meaningful in that the agreement is the first CDO partnership for Samsung BioLogics’ work to develop an Alzheimer’s disease treatment candidate. The company has said it has high hopes for the future growth of those treatments.

As many biopharmaceutical companies rush to commercialize Alzheimer’s disease treatment, the company has been expecting to see itself land contract manufacturing organization (CMO) projects for potential treatment options.

Samsung BioLogics is the world’s largest CMO for the biopharmaceutical industry, with a 364,000-liter (96,160-gallon) capacity from its three plants in Incheon. The CDO partnership with Aprinoia Therapeutics, if the drug substance proves successful, could be extended to a CMO contract.

In anticipation of other biopharmaceutical companies racing to launch Alzheimer’s disease treatments, Samsung BioLogics CEO Kim Tae-han said during the J.P. Morgan Healthcare Conference in January that the company is reviewing a plan to start constructing a fourth bio manufacturing plant.

BY KO JUN-TAE [ko.juntae@joongang.co.kr]
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