GSK says the eight-year agreement with the Korean CDMO brings additional and flexible capacity to manufacture its innovative biopharmaceutical therapies.

UK-headquartered pharma giant GlaxoSmithKline (GSK) has an extensive manufacturing network to support its biologics product portfolio but has turned to contract development and manufacturing organization (CDMO) Samsung BioLogics to secure capacity for future needs.

The deal will see Samsung Biologics provide GSK with additional capacity for large-scale biomanufacturing from its site in Incheon, South Korea. The capacity will be flexible depending on GSK’s future needs and will supplement GSK’s existing manufacturing network.

Image: iStock/Дмитрий Ларичев

The eight-year deal is worth more than $231 million for the CDMO, and while it will initially cover commercial production of GSK’s Benlysta (belimumab), with technology transfer starting in 2020 and first commercial supply expected in 2022.

Last October, GSK opened a $139 million Benlysta drug substance expansion at its site in Rockville, Maryland. The lupus treatment pulled in sales of £613 million ($750 million) for GSK in 2019.

“Today’s agreement with Samsung Biologics complements and reinforces our existing world-class pharmaceutical manufacturing capability and will help ensure we can continue to deliver the transformative medicines that patients need,” Regis Simard, president, Pharmaceuticals Supply Chain, GSK, said in a statement.