Global mRNA CDMO Business Launches in Full Scale
[Asia Economy Reporter Lee Gwan-joo] ST Pharm announced on the 3rd that it has signed a lipid supply contract worth 17.7 billion KRW with a U.S. biotech company, officially launching its global mRNA contract development and manufacturing organization (CDMO) business.
Lipids are raw materials necessary for producing LNPs (lipid nanoparticles). LNPs serve as delivery vehicles that allow drugs to pass through cell membranes and act within the cytoplasm, and are widely used not only in mRNA vaccines but also as carriers for various gene therapies.
Recently, due to the success of Pfizer and Moderna's COVID-19 mRNA vaccines, the demand for lipids essential for mRNA vaccine development has surged. However, only a few companies have GMP-certified facilities capable of mass production, resulting in a shortage of global market supply.
The lipids supplied by ST Pharm this time are two types of key raw materials for LNPs: expensive ionizable lipids and PEG lipids. ST Pharm can produce 3 tons of ionizable lipids and 1 ton of PEG lipids annually at its GMP-certified facilities.
Including this supply contract, ST Pharm has recorded mRNA-related orders totaling 24.8 billion KRW to date. It is currently negotiating mRNA vaccine co-development and CDMO projects for various diseases with seven companies, including two global pharmaceutical firms.
An ST Pharm official stated, “ST Pharm is the only mRNA CDMO company worldwide that has independently secured core mRNA platform technology and can produce everything from raw materials to mRNA-LNP bulk solutions.” He added, “This supply contract proves ST Pharm’s global competitiveness, and through continuous technological innovation, we will pioneer the blue ocean market and leap forward as a world-class gene therapy CDMO company.”
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