Celltrion (068270.KS), a major South Korean biopharmaceutical company, is expanding its global production infrastructure through a large-scale capital investment exceeding 1 trillion won.
Celltrion said Wednesday it will invest a total of 1.2265 trillion won ($900 million) to simultaneously build new Plants 4 and 5 with combined capacity of 180,000 liters at its Songdo headquarters campus in Incheon. The investment, aimed at meeting growing global demand for biopharmaceuticals and strengthening production competitiveness, will be carried out in phases through 2030.
The new Plants 4 and 5 will incorporate automation systems and smart factory technology. The company plans to establish a flexible production system capable of handling everything from small-batch, multi-product manufacturing to large-scale mass production. Celltrion expects the new facilities to significantly improve its speed in ramping up production of new products including biosimilars and novel drugs.
Overseas production bases are also being expanded. Celltrion decided to increase the expansion scale of its Branchburg, New Jersey plant from the previously planned 66,000 liters to 75,000 liters. This will bring the facility's total production capacity to 141,000 liters. The move is intended to meet rising demand for biopharmaceutical production in the United States while strengthening local supply chains.
Once all domestic and overseas expansions are completed, Celltrion's drug substance (DS) production capacity will grow from the current 316,000 liters to 571,000 liters. The company also expects cost savings through greater in-house production.
Celltrion is also strengthening its drug product (DP) manufacturing capabilities. A new DP plant at the Songdo campus has reached more than 70% construction progress and is set for completion within the year. Once operational, the facility will be capable of producing 6.5 million vials annually. Combined with existing capacity, this will give the Songdo site alone an annual production capacity exceeding 10 million vials.
Construction of an additional DP plant is also being pursued at the Yesan Industrial Complex in South Chungcheong Province. Once the expansion of pre-filled syringe production facilities is also completed, the group is expected to be able to produce approximately 90% of its total DP volume in-house. "This is a preemptive investment to meet surging global demand," a Celltrion official said. "We will strengthen both production competitiveness and supply stability to expand our position in the global market."