Who would manufacture Moderna vaccine in South Korea?

GC, Hanmi, Samsung Biologics and ST Pharm mentioned as possible candidates

President Moon Jae-in and Moderna CEO Stephane Bancel reportedly had a conference call over supplying COVID-19 vaccines for 20 million people in South Korea.

 

Now the question is who would sign the consignment production contract for the vaccine in South Korea.

 

The pharmaceutical industry is mentioning four names of potential candidates, including GC Pharma, Hanmi Pharmaceutical, Samsung Biologics and ST Pharm.

 

◆Cheong Wa Dae “Strengthening collaboration with Korean CMO for the vaccine”

On Dec.

 

29, Cheong Wa Dae stated the South Korean government plans to reach a purchasing agreement over COVID-19 vaccine for 20 million people with Moderna by the end of the year.

 

Compared to the original plan, the number of doses was increased to vaccinate 10 million more people, and the supply schedule was push up from the third quarter to the second quarter.

 

Also the presidential office disclosed the plan to secure Moderna vaccine through consignment production.

 

Cheong Wa Dae spokesperson Kang Min-seok said, “We have agreed to strengthen the cooperation with Moderna by having South Korean company to manufacture the vaccine under consignment contract.” If the government finalizes the supply contract with Moderna, it would resemble that of the AstraZeneca’s vaccine contract.

 

In last July, the government has inked a three-way contract with AstraZeneca and SK Bioscience for the vaccine supply.

 

The pharmaceutical industry predicts GC Pharma, Hanmi Pharmaceutical, Samsung Biologics and ST Pharm would have a chance at it.

 

◆Top candidates: GC Pharma, Hanmi Pharmaceutical, Samsung Biologics and ST Pharm

GC Pharma has been mentioned as a candidate backed by the company’s Ochang manufacturing facility opened in October.

 

The facility has integrated each vaccine facility previously located in Hwasun and Ochang, Jellanam-do.

 

GC Pharma has also signed a facility utilization contract with Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations (CEPI) in last October.

 

Basically, the Korean company has agreed to manufacture 500 million doses, if a vaccine developer (including Moderna) successfully develops a vaccine supported by CEPI.

 

According to the agreement, the company plans to manufacture COVID-19 vaccine assigned by CEPI from March 2021 to May 2022.

 

CEPI is part of COVAX Facility along with WHO and GAVI.

 

South Korea has signed to receive vaccines for 10 million people through COVAX Facility, but the said doses are not part of the deal the government and Moderna is lately discussing of.

 

Hanmi Pharmaceutical is also on the list of the Moderna vaccine CMO candidates.

 

The company’s Peongtaek Bio Plant can manufacture maximum 1 billion doses of vaccines per year.

 

Two years ago, Hanmi Pharmaceutical has completed constructing a Bio Plant equipped with 20,000 liter of microbial fermentation and biochemical conjugation reaction processors.

 

Apparently, the plant can manufacture 20 million doses of mRNA vaccine in a week.

 

Along with GC Pharma and Hanmi Pharmaceutical, ST Pharm is mentioned as a manufacturer candidate as the company has been consistently preparing for mass production of mRNA vaccine.

 

Since three years ago, the South Korean company forecasted an anticancer vaccine using mRNA mechanism would be promising and started expanding relevant facilities.

 

On Dec.

 

2, the company opened mRNA Business Development Department directly under the CEO’s command as an expansion of emerging business, and recruited a gene therapy expert Dr.

 

Yang Joo-sung as the department head.

 

Also the company is reinforcing the related facility as well.

 

However, ST Pharm is backed up with other consignment contracts, and it still lacks the capacity to mass produce mRNA vaccine.

 

Another candidate Samsung Biologics has the world’s biggest biopharmaceutical production capacity.

 

The company has already signed consignment production deals with various global pharmaceutical companies for COVID-19 treatments.

 

Regardless of the colossal facility, the company would have to newly establish facility to mass produce mRNA vaccine.

 

A pharmaceutical CMO industry insider noted, “Moderna would likely to license out the technology for the consignment production as the vaccine is already quite close to commercialization.

 

Due to the government’s settlement with Moderna, a multiple companies may handle the production in South Korea.”