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Celltrion to internalize U.S. production with $18B investment in New Jersey facility

Published: 15 Jan. 2026, 09:37 Updated: 15 Jan. 2026, 16:23

LEE JAE-LIM
[email protected]

Celltrion CEO Seo Jin-seok delivers a keynote speech on the company's future road map at the 44th J.P. Morgan Health Care Conference held in San Francisco on Jan.13. [CELLTRION]

SAN FRANCISCO — Celltrion plans to invest $18 billion over the next decade in its recently acquired U.S. manufacturing facility in Branchburg, New Jersey, expanding production capacity to 132,000 liters (384,871 gallons) to support biosimilars, innovative drug pipelines and contract manufacturing organization (CMO) volumes.

The investment marks Celltrion’s long-term ambition to evolve from a biosimilar and CMO-focused company into a fully fledged innovative drugmaker.

“Over the next 10 years, our goal is to ultimately become one of the world’s leading global pharmaceutical companies,” said CEO Seo Jin-seok during his keynote address at the 44th Annual J.P. Morgan Healthcare Conference at the Westin St. Francis Hotel in San Francisco on Tuesday. “What truly differentiates Celltrion is our risk-adjusted portfolio, which is rooted in our biosimilar business. The stable cash flow it generates allows us to discover novel drug candidates internally and advance them through development without being forced into early licensing decisions.”

U.S. manufacturing expansion
According to Lee Hyuk-jae, the senior executive vice president overseeing production and supply chain, concerns over potential U.S. tariffs played a key role in the company’s decision to acquire domestic manufacturing capacity.

Celltrion USA acquired the Branchburg facility from Eli Lilly for 460 billion won ($313.7 million), which was followed by a $500 million CMO agreement to manufacture biopharmaceutical products for Eli Lilly through 2029.

“Beginning this year, we expect to operate the facility at nearly 100 percent utilization — approximately half for Eli Lilly products and half for our own biosimilars,” Lee said. “This significantly reduces unit costs. Without this facility, we would have relied on external CMOs, which would nearly double manufacturing expenses. By internalizing production, we expect to save more than $100 million.”

The expansion will be carried out in phases, with six additional 11,000-liter bioreactors planned. While the current facility focuses on drug substance production, Celltrion also plans to add drug product manufacturing capabilities and establish a global research and development center to strengthen collaboration within the local biotech ecosystem and attract talent.

Celltrion Chairman Seo Jung-jin speaks at an online press conference to explain about Branchburg plant acquisition from Eil Lilly on Sept. 23, 2025. [SCREEN CAPTURE]

Internal manufacturing remains Celltrion’s long-term priority for the site.

“Once the Eli Lilly contract concludes and we fully allocate the facility to our own products, internal utilization will reach around 70 to 80 percent,” Seo said at a separate press briefing with Korean media on Wednesday.

Pipeline expansion
Celltrion’s biosimilar portfolio currently spans autoimmune diseases, oncology, bone disorders and ophthalmology. The company plans to expand its biosimilar lineup to 18 products by 2030 and 41 products by 2038.

In parallel, Celltrion is accelerating its innovative drug pipeline, which is centered on antibody-drug conjugates (ADCs). Specific treatment indications for a majority of these programs have not yet been publicly disclosed.

Among the most advanced candidates, CT-P70 and CT-P71 entered Phase 1 clinical trials in 2025. Initial human data from both programs are expected in the third quarter of 2026, with Phase 3 completion targeted for 2031.

Celltrion logo on the company's Songdo plant in Incheon [CELLTRION]

CT-P70, developed to treat non-small cell lung cancer, recently secured Fast Track designation from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, potentially allowing the program to move more quickly through development and regulatory review.

A third ADC candidate, CT-P73, is progressing on a similar timeline, with first clinical results also anticipated in the third quarter of 2026. Another ADC asset, CT-P74, remains in preclinical development, with Investigational New Drug (IND) submission planned for the first half of 2027.

Beyond ADCs, Celltrion’s multispecific antibody candidate CT-P72 has received regulatory clearance to begin clinical testing, with initial trial data expected later this year. The company is also advancing an autoimmune therapy, CT-P77, which is expected to enter Phase 1 clinical trials following IND submission in the first quarter of 2027.

In metabolic disease, Celltrion is developing CT-G32, a GLP-1–based multi-agonist aimed at obesity and related conditions. The program is currently in preclinical development, with IND submission planned for the second half of 2027.

“Success in this space comes down to three factors: choosing the right payload, moving quickly and planning development with a clear strategic view,” Seo said. “Many competitors struggle because they fail to execute all three.”

“From initial compound discovery to entry into Phase 1 trials, our process typically takes about two years — compared with six or seven years for many peers,” he added. “That speed gives us a meaningful advantage. The next challenge is demonstrating that we can consistently anticipate clinical outcomes and market dynamics, an area where our biosimilar teams have already shown strong predictive capabilities.”

BY LEE JAE-LIM [[email protected]]