Acquisition of GSK’s Rockville, Maryland Facility
60,000L Capacity, 410 Billion Won Scale... Additional Investments Planned
Hedging Risks from U.S. Biosecurity Law and Tariffs
Samsung Biologics has secured its first manufacturing base in the United States. This move is interpreted as a strategic decision to proactively diversify risk amid global trade and security policies that are reshaping the biopharmaceutical supply chain. As the United States intensifies its efforts to exclude China from the biopharma sector and increases policy leverage to bring advanced manufacturing back to its own soil, securing a "U.S. manufacturing option" has become a key factor in global contract competitiveness.
First U.S. Manufacturing Facility Secured... 60,000L Capacity, Worth 410 Billion Won
Aerial view of Humangenomics Science Biopharmaceutical Manufacturing Facility located in Rockville, Maryland, USA. Samsung Biologics
On December 22, Samsung Biologics announced that it has signed an agreement with GlaxoSmithKline (GSK) to acquire the "Human Genome Sciences (HGS)" biopharmaceutical manufacturing facility located in Rockville, Maryland, USA. The acquisition will be made through Samsung Biologics’ U.S. subsidiary, Samsung Biologics America, for $280 million (approximately 414.7 billion won). The asset acquisition process is expected to be completed within the first quarter of next year.
The Rockville facility is a drug substance (DS) manufacturing plant with a total capacity of 60,000 liters, located at the heart of the Maryland bio cluster. It consists of two production buildings. The site is equipped with infrastructure that can support the production of antibody drugs at various scales, from clinical to commercial stages. Through this acquisition, Samsung Biologics plans to take over existing product contracts and secure a stable volume of large-scale contract manufacturing (CMO) orders. All 500 local employees, who have operational experience and expertise, will be retained to ensure operational stability. The company is also considering additional investments, such as expanding production capacity, based on mid- to long-term demand and utilization. With proven facilities, skilled personnel, and the ability to maintain existing contracts, the Rockville site was deemed an optimal target for Samsung Biologics to quickly establish its first U.S. manufacturing base.
With this acquisition, Samsung Biologics will establish a dual production system connecting Songdo, Korea, and Rockville, USA. While maintaining economies of scale with large-scale production capabilities in Songdo, the company can now offer U.S.-based manufacturing options to North American clients. This strategy is designed to enhance responsiveness to regional supply chain changes and strengthen collaboration with North American customers, thereby boosting its CDMO (Contract Development and Manufacturing Organization) competitiveness.
This move is expected to accelerate the company’s "three-pronged expansion strategy": expanding global bases, broadening its portfolio, and increasing production capacity. On November 28, Samsung Biologics secured additional land in the 11th district of Songdo International City, Incheon, to begin building its third Bio Campus. This new campus will serve as a strategic hub for expanding the business portfolio beyond antibody drugs to next-generation modalities such as cell and gene therapies (CGT), antibody vaccines, and peptides. Through this, Samsung Biologics aims to proactively respond to the pipeline diversification trend among global pharmaceutical and biotech companies and to secure next-generation growth engines step by step.
Proactive Response to "China Exclusion" Biosecurity Law and Tariffs
This decision by Samsung Biologics follows the recent passage of the U.S. "Biosecurity Law." The U.S. Congress has been discussing the exclusion of "entities of concern" from the federal government’s bio supply chain procurement and support. Major Chinese CDMO and CRO (Contract Research Organization) companies such as WuXi Biologics and WuXi AppTec are expected to be included on this list. The law is essentially aimed at Chinese firms. The National Defense Authorization Act, which includes the Biosecurity Law, was passed by both the U.S. House and Senate this month and gained legal effect with President Trump’s final signature on December 18.
When biopharmaceuticals are manufactured by CDMO companies, sensitive data and intellectual property-such as cell lines, gene sequences, process conditions, and analytical methods-are transferred externally. The U.S. Congress and administration have highlighted the potential mass transfer of this sensitive data and IP as a reason to designate Chinese companies as entities of concern. As Chinese CDMO companies are excluded, demand for Korean CDMO companies like Samsung Biologics is expected to rise further.
The continued risk posed by the Trump administration’s tariff policy has also increased the necessity of securing a U.S. manufacturing facility. If tariffs are imposed on pharmaceuticals, the unique characteristics of these products-where supply disruptions can become social and political issues-mean that customers are strongly incentivized to shift production options to the United States to reduce regulatory, tariff, and procurement risks. As a result, global pharmaceutical companies are now considering not only quality, cost, and delivery, but also geopolitical risks when selecting manufacturing partners.
John Rim, CEO of Samsung Biologics, stated, "This acquisition is a strategic decision by the company to advance the global healthcare industry and strengthen manufacturing capabilities within the United States. Based on collaboration with a wide range of stakeholders, including federal, state, and local governments, we will enhance customer support and the stability of biopharmaceutical supply, and continuously improve the competitiveness of the Rockville facility through cooperation with experienced local staff." Regis Simard, President of Global Supply Chain at GSK, added, "With Samsung Biologics’ acquisition of the Rockville facility, we can now ensure stable U.S. production of key medicines for American patients. GSK will also be able to further strengthen the stability and responsiveness of its global supply chain operations."
Meanwhile, on the same day, Samsung Biologics announced that it had signed three contract manufacturing agreements totaling 1.22 trillion won with European pharmaceutical companies. The client companies and product names remain undisclosed, and the contracts are valid until the end of 2030.
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