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Celltrion commences operations at new 60,000-liter plant

Published: 05 Dec. 2024, 17:19

LEE JAE-LIM
[email protected]

An image of Celltrion's third plant situated in Incheon that began operations on Thursday. [CELLTRION]

Celltrion commenced operations at its newly completed third plant situated in Songdo, Incheon, the Korean drugmaker said on Thursday.

The 22,300-square-meter (240,035-square-foot) plant, completed over 27 months starting in September 2021, recently passed a performance qualification assessment, allowing it to start production at an annual capacity of 60,000 liters (15,850 gallons).

Combined with Celltrion’s first and second plants, each with an annual capacity of 100,000 and 90,000 liters, respectively, the production total reaches 250,000 liters.

Despite the relatively small production volume of the latest plant, Celltrion states that it is focused on the growing demand for diverse biopharmaceutical products and rapidly changing market needs.

The facility is equipped with eight 7,500-liter incubators and the latest technology for automation and shortening cell growth cycles. Cleanroom setups support purification equipment that utilizes highly concentrated dilution methods.

The company plans to use the first and second plants primarily for ongoing commercial production while leveraging the third plant as a pipeline to juggle existing and new product manufacturing, including biosimilars seeking regulatory approval in foreign markets.

Celltrion is also building a new drug product plant within its Songdo campus, slated for completion in 2026 and operational by 2027.

A drug product plant is a specialized manufacturing facility designed to produce finished pharmaceutical products that can immediately be distributed in the market.

Celltrion has previously outlined a road map to expand its product portfolio, with regulatory approval for 11 products by 2025 and a total of 24 products by 2030 to be distributed globally.

BY LEE JAE-LIM [[email protected]]