Chungbuk Ochang Integrated Finished Dosage Facility
WHO Prequalification Certification
Equipped with Global Standard Production Base
[Asia Economy Reporter Myunghwan Lee] GC Green Cross has set a new record with a cumulative production volume of 300 million doses of influenza vaccine. The integrated control center in Ochang, Chungbuk, has been certified by the World Health Organization (WHO), proving stable production and the possibility of contract manufacturing.
GC Green Cross announced on the 10th that the cumulative production volume of influenza vaccines has recently surpassed 300 million doses, driven by strong export performance. This achievement follows the milestone of 100 million doses of domestic influenza vaccine production in 2018 and 200 million doses in 2019. One dose is the amount required for one adult to receive a single vaccination. This means that 300 million people worldwide have been vaccinated with GC Green Cross's influenza vaccine. So far, GC Green Cross has exported influenza vaccines to a total of 62 countries worldwide.
The company explained that its swift actions to enter the global market laid the foundation for surpassing 300 million doses in cumulative production. In fact, GC Green Cross has established itself as the largest seasonal influenza vaccine supplier for the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO). Even during the pandemic over the past three years, it supplied approximately 50 million doses of influenza vaccine.
The integrated finished product center in Ochang-eup, Cheongju-si, Chungbuk, recently received Prequalification (PQ) certification from the WHO. WHO PQ is a system through which the WHO evaluates the safety and efficacy of vaccines and medicines to supply them to developing countries. Through this certification, GC Green Cross explained that it has established a global-level production base capable of producing medicines for international organization procurement.
GC Green Cross's integrated finished product center is a finished product manufacturing facility completed in 2019. It has built the largest filling and packaging facilities in Korea, introduced aseptic filling equipment, and applied a single-use system. It is also equipped with state-of-the-art automated facilities that automate the entire process from raw material receipt to production and shipment.
GC Green Cross explained that this certification proves not only more stable supply of influenza vaccines to international organizations but also the possibility of contract manufacturing through global-level certification. The integrated finished product center was designed from the planning stage with consideration for both in-house products and contract manufacturing (CMO) volumes, and it is capable of producing various biopharmaceuticals including vaccines. The production capacity of the integrated finished product center is approximately 300 million doses annually based on finished pharmaceuticals.
Huh Eun-chul, CEO of GC Green Cross, said, "We will contribute to the improvement of global public health based on our half-century know-how in vaccine production and supply and excellent manufacturing capabilities."
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