[Featured Stock] Jinwon Life Sciences Highlights Raw Material Production Capacity for Samsung Biologics mRNA Bulk Production

[Asia Economy Reporter Jang Hyowon] GeneOne Life Science, which possesses one of the world's largest production facilities for plasmid DNA, an essential material for mRNA bulk production, is gaining attention following Samsung Biologics' announcement of expanding mRNA bulk production.

As of 9:09 AM on the 1st, GeneOne Life Science is trading at 23,450 KRW, up 2.4% compared to the previous day.

Samsung Biologics announced on the 31st that it will expand its mRNA bulk drug substance (DS) production facilities at its existing site in Songdo, Incheon, and complete preparations for current Good Manufacturing Practice (cGMP) compliance by the first half of 2022.

mRNA vaccines are relatively safer than traditional vaccines because the virus is not directly injected into the body. Additionally, production is easier and time-saving since there is no need for virus antigen cultivation time.

The company plans to expand production capacity to meet the rapidly growing demand in the mRNA market, beyond its current focus on antibody drugs.

John Rim, CEO of Samsung Biologics, stated, "We are continuously evaluating various ways to expand and diversify our current business portfolio to provide better services to the market. Through expanded production capacity, we hope to support our partners in bringing new mRNA vaccines and therapeutics to market faster."

Samsung Biologics has opened a U.S. R&D center in the heart of the San Francisco bio-cluster to support global expansion and portfolio diversification. This enables the company to provide contract development services closer to biotech and pharmaceutical companies located in the region.

Meanwhile, Oh Byungyong, a researcher at Hanyang Securities, analyzed that GeneOne Life Science plans to complete a specialized plasmid DNA factory, an essential raw material for mRNA production, this year through its 100% U.S. subsidiary VGXI. The scale is more than 20 times that of the existing factory's production capacity. GeneOne Life Science expects that as the mRNA contract manufacturing market grows and production volume increases, the demand for plasmid DNA will also rise.