Cellid Completes Global Standard GMP Center for COVID-19 Vaccine Production

[Asia Economy Reporter Yoo Hyun-seok] Cellid held a completion ceremony on the 30th at its GMP Center in Seongnam-si, Gyeonggi-do, capable of producing commercial finished products of the novel coronavirus disease (COVID-19) vaccine and anticancer cell and gene therapy.

Cellid held the completion ceremony of the GMP Center, which began construction in April at SK V1 Tower in Jungwon-gu, Seongnam-si, Gyeonggi-do, aiming to establish a global-level GMP center for vaccines, vectors, and cell and gene therapies.

The finished product factory for cell and gene therapies covers an exclusive area of 340 pyeong with an investment of about 10 billion KRW, and the vaccine and vector factory covers an exclusive area of 275 pyeong with an investment of about 7 billion KRW, totaling approximately 17 billion KRW. As a result, it secured an annual production capacity of 1,000 lots of cell and gene therapies and COVID-19 vaccines. Through a consortium, it aims to produce 10 million doses of COVID-19 vaccines annually.

Thus, by utilizing its proprietary technology platform, CeliVax, Cellid has completed a forward base for the production of finished products of COVID-19 vaccines and anticancer immunotherapy vaccines. After obtaining GMP approval in 2021, it plans to produce COVID-19 vaccines and BVAC-C phase 2b clinical trial drugs. In particular, through the GMP Center, it also plans joint development, cross-licensing, and introduction of new pipelines with domestic and international biopharmaceutical companies.

As planned, through the completion of the GMP Center, Cellid is steadily establishing a mass production system for COVID-19 vaccines via ‘Cellid Vaccine and Vector GMP’, the ‘Jeonnam Biomedical Research Center’, the Andong ‘Animal Cell Validation Support Center’, and ‘LG Chem’.

Kang Chang-yul, CEO of Cellid, said, “With the completion of this GMP Center, Cellid has laid the foundation to leap forward as a global specialist in cell and gene therapies. We will strive to realize vaccine sovereignty by developing COVID-19 vaccines as quickly as possible and improve the health and quality of life of our people.”

Since initiating the development of the ‘AdCLD-Cov19’ preventive vaccine in April, Cellid has signed mutual cooperation agreements with LG Chem and the Andong Animal Cell Validation Support Center for vaccine development, production, and commercialization. It was also selected as the lead institution for the 2020 4th Bio-Medical Technology Development Project supported by the Ministry of Science and ICT, focusing on the development of core technologies to respond to new and mutated viruses. Furthermore, in October, it submitted the clinical trial plan for phase 1/2a of the COVID-19 vaccine to the Ministry of Food and Drug Safety to commence full-scale clinical trials. Preparations for clinical trials and commercialization are actively underway.