Suh Jeong-jin, Chairman of Celltrion, Participates in U.S. Economic Delegation, "Turning Crisis into Opportunity"

[Financial News] Suh Jeong-jin, Chairman of Celltrion, officially visited the United States to join the economic delegation for the Korea-U.S. summit.
According to the pharmaceutical and bio industry on the 24th, Celltrion was the only domestic bio company invited to this economic delegation. Chairman Suh's participation in the economic delegation to visit the U.S. clearly demonstrates Celltrion's status in the domestic and international pharmaceutical and bio industry.
Celltrion, led by Chairman Suh, has shown the most exemplary response to the increasing tariff risks from the U.S.
In fact, Celltrion has already secured two years' worth of product inventory in the U.S. to prepare for unexpected variables, and announced at the end of last month that it would invest 700 billion won to acquire a U.S. biopharmaceutical production facility.
This is a strategic move not only to expand production capacity but also to fundamentally resolve the tariff risks from the U.S. The industry expects that Chairman Suh's participation in the economic delegation will serve as an opportunity to discuss follow-up investments and strengthen the supply chain in the U.S.
The U.S., the world's largest pharmaceutical market, is an indispensable market for Celltrion. Celltrion has continuously increased its sales proportion in the U.S. during its competition with global pharmaceutical companies, now exceeding 30% of its total sales. Success in the U.S. has long been a key pillar of the company's growth.
In particular, the performance of the newly approved autoimmune disease drug 'Zympentra' in the U.S. is noteworthy. Zympentra is Celltrion's first independent antibody new drug, which can be priced 3 to 4 times higher than existing biosimilars, significantly contributing to sales. The success in the U.S. market is directly linked to Celltrion's performance.
This participation in the economic delegation is also an opportunity to reaffirm Celltrion's position. Celltrion, along with Samsung Biologics, is regarded as a key company in the global bio industry, often referred to as the 'two-top' in Korea.
Celltrion is expressing its determination to add the title of an antibody new drug specialist to its title of 'world's first antibody biosimilar developer.'
The company aims to submit clinical trial plans (IND) for a total of 13 new drug candidates, including 9 antibody-drug conjugates (ADCs) and 4 multi-antibodies, by 2028. Among these, some candidates have already attracted global researchers' attention by presenting positive preclinical data at international conferences.
In particular, the multi-antibody candidate CT-P72 has demonstrated 180 times higher safety compared to existing ones in preclinical trials, opening up the possibility of being 'Best in Class.'
The financial strength also supports new drug development. Celltrion recorded consolidated sales of 961.5 billion won and an operating profit of 242.5 billion won in the second quarter, achieving the highest quarterly performance since the merger. The proportion of high-profit new product groups increased to 53%, significantly improving profitability.
Chairman Suh's visit to the U.S. is in line with these series of actions. It is analyzed as an opportunity to convey a message to the U.S. industry that encompasses tariff risk resolution, securing local production bases, and a global business strategy centered on new drugs.


vrdw88@fnnews.com Kang Jung-mo Reporter