[BioUSA] John Lim, CEO of Samba, "Nearly Completed Securing Big Pharma Clients"

John Rim, CEO of Samsung Biologics, Press Conference
'Top 20 Clients' from 3 in 2018 to 16 in 2024
5th Plant and ADC Sustain Production Capacity 'Super Gap'
Active CDO Orders... "Big Pharma Also Seeking Us"

"Last year, out of the 14 global top 20 big pharma companies, our clients this time have increased to 16. Realistically, we have secured almost all possible orders."

John Rim, President of Samsung Biologics, is speaking at a press conference held in San Diego, USA, on the 5th (local time).
[Photo by Lee Chunhee]

John Rim, CEO of Samsung Biologics, stated this at a press conference held on the 5th (local time) in San Diego, California, USA, where the 2024 BIO International Convention (BIO USA) is taking place. He added, "The remaining companies among the top 20 big pharma consider us competitors because of the businesses conducted by our subsidiaries," and explained, "Our subsidiaries operate on different systems with firewalls in place, so in reality, we are not competitors, but it cannot be helped. Considering this, it seems there are only one or two companies left from which we can secure orders in the future."

When CEO Rim first joined Samsung Biologics in 2018, only 3 of the top 20 big pharma companies were clients of Samsung Biologics. However, over the past six years, they have successfully secured a total of 16 clients including Pfizer, AstraZeneca (AZ), Janssen, Eli Lilly, MSD, Roche, and GlaxoSmithKline (GSK). This success is attributed to Rim’s solid global network built over 30 years working at big pharma companies such as Roche, Genentech, and Astellas, which enabled proactive responses to client demands.

Aerial view of Samsung Biologics' 2nd Bio Campus in Songdo, Incheon [Photo by Samsung Biologics]

The foundation of this growth is undoubtedly Samsung Biologics’ world-class production capacity. When the 5th plant is completed in April next year, the total production capacity will reach 784,000 liters, bringing them one step closer to a 'super gap' in production capacity. Rim said, "The 5th plant will start operations immediately upon completion," and added, "While not 100% of orders have come in, we are receiving almost all of them." Regarding the planned 6th plant with an additional 180,000 liters, he explained, "We are reviewing the start time while monitoring the order situation," and further mentioned plans to complete the 7th and 8th plants by 2032, which will bring the total production capacity to an overwhelming 1,324,000 liters at the second bio campus. He also noted that "the third bio campus is also under consideration."

This year, Samsung Biologics plans to enter the antibody-drug conjugate (ADC) market, a global trend led by the oncology market. They will complete a dedicated ADC production facility in Songdo, Incheon, within the year. Rim said, "This facility will conjugate antibodies produced by us with purchased linkers and cytotoxic drugs," and added, "We have prepared everything so that production can start immediately upon completion." Through the Samsung Life Science Fund, formed together with Samsung C&T and Samsung Bioepis, they have invested in Swiss company Araris and Korean company AimedBio, aiming to provide customers with a 'toolbox' that offers a diverse selection of antibodies, linkers, and cytotoxic drugs.

John Rim, CEO of Samsung Biologics, is speaking at a press conference held on the 5th (local time) in San Diego, USA.
[Photo by Samsung Biologics]

At this year’s BIO USA, alongside the existing contract manufacturing organization (CMO) business, Samsung Biologics actively engaged customers by officially unveiling the new platform S-Tensify for their contract development organization (CDO) business, which is now in its sixth year. The S-Tensify platform is reportedly very popular, with some customers already utilizing it. Rim said, "There are more CDO clients at BIO USA," and explained, "Since there are nearly 5,000 companies in the U.S., we are pursuing orders not only for CMO but also focusing on CDO." He added, "Not only biotech companies but also big pharma companies entrust us with CDO, and we operate based on sales offices located throughout the U.S."

Regarding the intensified U.S.-China tensions triggered by the biosecurity law, which was a dominant topic at this BIO USA, Rim said, "It is unlikely that the conflict will disappear, and the U.S. will continue to keep watch," adding, "Inquiries to us have doubled, so we plan to promote our CDO business and increase our workforce." On the ongoing issue of securing factories within the U.S., as the U.S. approaches various advanced industries such as bio and semiconductors from a security perspective, Rim emphasized, "We are an export-oriented company, and 97% of our products are not sold in Korea. Naturally, having factories in the U.S. and Europe is fine," but he also stressed, "Honestly, I have toured local U.S. factories, but existing plants are mostly built for pharmaceutical companies or are outdated, so it is still much cheaper to operate from Korea."