Amicogen Signs Contract for Contract Development of Cephalosporin Antibiotic Intermediate Production Strain

Amicogen (CEO Park Cheol), which has established itself as a global material company in the pharmaceutical and bio sectors, announced that it has signed a contract for commissioned development of a DX project with a company leading the global market in raw antibiotic production.

Through this contract, Amicogen will receive development fees according to milestones during the project progress and will receive success royalties and running royalties upon successful development.

The DX project is an innovative research project that optimizes antibiotic raw materials and intermediate production strains by utilizing Amicogen's unique enzyme technology and metabolic engineering technology. In particular, it aims to efficiently improve the production processes of cephalosporin and penicillin antibiotics to implement a more eco-friendly and economical manufacturing method.

Amicogen's DX project has led sustainable technological innovation and succeeded in commercialization, thereby further strengthening its competitiveness in the global pharmaceutical industry.

Amicogen succeeded in developing the world's first 7-ADCA technology using fermentation and enzymatic methods in 2019, and in 2020, it commercialized the technology by transferring it to a Chinese partner producing over 1,000 tons of 7-ADCA annually through DX technology. Through this, it secures running royalties worth 2 to 3 billion KRW annually, and in 2023, it also completed the technology transfer of CPC production strains. The DX project is recognized for its competitiveness amid the growing global interest in eco-friendly technology, and additional demand is expected accordingly.

Park Cheol, CEO of Amicogen, stated, “For the past seven years, we have continuously promoted strain development projects (DX) to convert major antibiotic intermediates and APIs such as CPC, 7-ACA, and 7-ADCA into eco-friendly processes. Starting with the commercialization of DX2 in 2020 and the successful commercialization of DX0 in 2023, our technological capabilities have been proven. Recently, with the growth of the antibiotic market and the increasing global demand for eco-friendly production processes, coupled with countries' movements to strengthen domestic antibiotic production, interest in our pipeline is expanding further.”

He added, “Through this contract, we will secure running royalties and plan to expand them further through future negotiations. We also plan to further expand the global eco-friendly antibiotic business through the development of new pharmaceutical enzymes and DX new strain projects.”