Celltrion Pharm Bets 2 Trillion Won on Expansion, to Build Up Production Base in Osong

[Financial News] Celltrion Pharm will invest a total of 2 trillion won in Osong, North Chungcheong Province, to build a production base for next-generation biopharmaceuticals.
The company plans to more than triple its production capacity for prefilled syringes, or PFS, a product category seeing rapidly rising global demand. It also aims to build a production ecosystem linked to the North Chungcheong bio cluster, further strengthening its global competitiveness.
Yoo Young-ho, CEO of Celltrion Pharm, announced the investment plan on the 2nd at the National Report Meeting on the Vision for Advanced Industry Development in the Chungcheong Region, held in Asan, South Chungcheong Province. The event was organized as part of the government's advanced industry promotion strategy for the Chungcheong region. It brought together the central government, local governments, and companies to pledge cooperation on investment and support.
Celltrion Pharm plans to expand its Osong production facilities in phases with a total investment of 2 trillion won. It will first carry out a first-stage project worth 1 trillion won, followed by a second-stage project with an additional 1 trillion won. The first stage is scheduled to begin design and construction in 2028, with full-scale operations targeted for 2032.
The key focus is expanding PFS production capacity. The company plans to add 50 million units to its current annual capacity of 20 million, bringing the total to 70 million units.
PFS refers to finished pharmaceuticals that are prefilled into syringes. Because they offer greater convenience and safety in administration, demand has been steadily increasing in global markets. At the same time, the high difficulty of building production facilities has kept supply from keeping pace with demand, making companies with secured capacity increasingly competitive.
Celltrion Pharm currently operates production facilities certified under Good Manufacturing Practice (GMP) standards in the United States, Europe, and Japan, supplying products to global markets. Through this expansion, the company aims to strengthen not only production scale but also supply stability and responsiveness.
Yoo said, "We introduced PFS production facilities domestically, which had previously relied entirely on imports, and are now supplying 20 million units a year to both the domestic and global markets." He added, "Supply is currently falling short of demand, and the shortage is expected to worsen further going forward."
The new plant will establish a one-stop production system capable of handling every process, from drug preparation to aseptic filling, assembly, and packaging. The company also plans to build facilities to produce key materials in-house, improving supply chain stability and production efficiency.
Yoo emphasized, "This investment is not just an expansion of production facilities, but a future-oriented investment to strengthen the competitiveness of the nation's bio industry." He added, "Based on cooperation with the Osong bio cluster and logistics competitiveness supported by the wider transportation network, we will grow into a global production hub."

vrdw88@fnnews.com Kang Jung-mo Reporter