Celltrion announced on the 2nd that its new global biotechnology research center located in Songdo, Incheon has completed its trial operation and entered the final stage of verifying its main functions.
Celltrion decided to build a large-scale complex research center in 2020 to simultaneously conduct research and development, process development, and clinical trials, and obtained building use approval in January of this year. After completing the trial operation last month, the company began the 'validation' process to verify key functions starting this month, with plans to commence full-scale occupancy from next month.
The research center is built on a site area of 10,033㎡ (approximately 3,000 pyeong) with one basement floor and six above-ground floors, accommodating over 300 research personnel working on biopharmaceuticals and synthetic pharmaceuticals. The center is equipped with state-of-the-art research facilities, including laboratories capable of producing non-clinical active pharmaceutical ingredients and filling equipment for non-clinical finished pharmaceutical products, enabling all research necessary for clinical entry to be conducted within the center.
Alongside this, the construction of the 3rd plant (60,000ℓ scale) next to the research center, aiming to obtain building use approval by November this year, is progressing smoothly. After completing validation, the 3rd plant is scheduled to begin commercial production from December 2024. Upon completion, Celltrion will secure a total annual production capacity of 250,000ℓ. The 3rd plant plans to install a total of eight 7,500ℓ bioreactors, allowing more flexible responses to increased biopharmaceutical production due to product volume growth.
A Celltrion official stated, "The new research center enables one-stop operations from initial drug development to non-clinical material production within a single building and is equipped with facilities optimized for platform technology development. We expect it to play a pivotal role in Celltrion's growth." He added, "We will do our best to accelerate pipeline expansion and the establishment of growth engines centered around the research center."
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