GC Green Cross to Promote Biopharmaceutical CMO Collaboration with Aprogen

GC Green Cross announced on the 20th that it signed a business cooperation agreement for contract manufacturing (CMO) with Aprogen at its Ochang plant in Cheongju, Chungbuk. Kim Seong-hwa, head of GC Green Cross Ochang Plant; Lim Seung-ho, head of GC Green Cross Production Division; Gyeong Yeong-cheol, head of Aprogen Osong Plant; and Paul Andrea, executive director of Aprogen plant operations (from left), are posing for a commemorative photo. (Photo by GC Green Cross)

[Asia Economy Reporter Chunhee Lee] GC Green Cross is promoting contract manufacturing organization (CMO) cooperation in biopharmaceuticals with Aprogen.

On the 20th, GC Green Cross announced that it signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) for CMO business cooperation with Aprogen at its Ochang plant in Cheongju, Chungbuk.

This agreement includes comprehensive mutual cooperation between the two companies in the biopharmaceutical CMO business. The strategy is to create synergy based on the integrated finished dosage form facility at GC Green Cross’s Ochang plant, which is capable of finished drug CMO, and Aprogen’s expertise in pharmaceutical raw material production.

GC Green Cross’s Ochang integrated finished dosage form facility was designed from the planning stage to have an annual production capacity of over 1 billion doses, considering both in-house production items and CMO volumes. Since more than 70% of global biopharmaceutical CMO facilities are concentrated in North America and Europe, the integrated finished dosage form facility is expected to become a key facility in the Asian market.

Aprogen recently expanded its business area from biopharmaceutical new drug and biosimilar development to contract development and manufacturing organization (CDMO). Aprogen’s affiliate, Aprogen Biologics Osong plant, received the final approval for Good Manufacturing Practice (GMP) from the Ministry of Food and Drug Safety in December last year. The company explained that it is capable of producing 2,500 kg of pharmaceutical raw materials annually.

Im Seungho, head of GC Green Cross’s production division, said, “We will create a co-growth model that leverages the differentiated capabilities of both companies,” and Kang Youngcheol, executive director of Aprogen, said, “This is a good opportunity to efficiently operate production capacity,” adding, “We will maintain a close cooperative relationship and strive to achieve visible results.”