Samsung Biologics announced on Wednesday that it had signed a partnership agreement with the Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations (CEPI) for the Vaccine Manufacturing Facility Network (VMFN) the previous day.
The signing ceremony, held at the Conrad Hotel in Yeouido, Seoul, was attended by John Lim, CEO of Samsung Biologics, and Richard Hatchett, CEO of CEPI.
By joining the VMFN, Samsung Biologics aims to collaborate with CEPI to rapidly supply vaccines globally during future pandemics and bolster global health security.
In the event of a pandemic, vaccines produced by Samsung Biologics will be prioritized for distribution to South Korea at CEPI’s request.
CEPI, headquartered in Norway, is an innovative coalition of public, private, philanthropic, and civic organizations. It was launched at the 2017 World Economic Forum in Davos to develop vaccines against emerging infectious diseases.
This partnership aligns with CEPI’s “100 Days Mission,” which aims to achieve initial vaccine approval and prepare for large-scale manufacturing within 100 days of a pandemic outbreak.
The initial budget for this partnership is set at up to $20 million. Under this agreement, Samsung Biologics will be designated as a priority manufacturer for CEPI-supported vaccines.
During a pandemic, Samsung Biologics will produce up to 50 million vaccine doses and drug substances (DS) that can be converted into 1 billion finished drug product (DP) doses at CEPI’s request.
Both parties also plan to collaborate to enhance the chemistry, manufacturing, and quality (CMC) processes for recombinant protein vaccines and to expand preliminary production capabilities.
They will conduct simulation exercises for rapid pandemic response. Samsung Biologics will simulate a wild-type H5 influenza outbreak to verify the speed and stability of the entire process from antigen development to vaccine production and supply.
By joining CEPI’s VMFN, Samsung Biologics is poised to become a key player in the Asia-Pacific region’s vaccine production hub.
This move will further strengthen its leadership in global health security by contributing to the rapid worldwide supply of vaccines.
John Lim, CEO of Samsung Biologics, said that in collaboration with CEPI, Samsung Biologics would establish an ecosystem for swift and reliable vaccine supply during future pandemics while also contributing to South Korea’s vaccine sovereignty. He added that the company was committed to continuously enhancing its pandemic response capabilities by leveraging its technological expertise and manufacturing prowess.