LOTTE BIOLOGICS, a contract development and manufacturing organisation (CDMO), will build the Songdo Bio Campus in the Songdo area of Incheon to manufacture commercial and clinical pharmaceuticals.
The company signed a land purchase agreement with the Incheon Free Economic Zone Authority for the project in October 2023. The investment for the project is estimated at approximately Won4.6tn ($3.3bn).
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The groundbreaking for the first facility within the campus, referred to as Plant One, took place in July 2024. Plant One is anticipated to be operational by 2025, followed by Plant Two by 2027 and Plant Three by 2030.
The full-scale operation at the campus is expected to begin by 2034, bringing the company’s total production capacity to 400kl. Songdo Bio Campus is projected to create approximately 37,000 jobs.
Location
The site is located at Block KI20 in Zone 11 of Songdo-dong in Incheon International City.
This was selected for its proximity to major transportation hubs and existing biotechnology clusters, which will support the company’s growth plans.
Songdo Bio Campus details
The state-of-the-art campus will span 202,285.2m² (2.1 million ft² ), encompassing three modern biomanufacturing plants together with auxiliary buildings for operations.
The campus will have a combined bioreactor capacity of 360kl, with each plant having a drug substance manufacturing capacity of 120kl.
Each plant will feature eight bioreactors with a capacity of 15kl each for large-scale commercial operations, complemented by multiple small-scale 2kl single-use bioreactors to meet clinical requirements. The plants will be designed for multi-product continuous operations throughout the day.
The facilities and operations systems will be designed for high-quality good manufacturing practice (GMP) production with enhanced efficiency based on the experience of the GMP operators. Automated systems will improve pharmaceutical production efficiency, while electronic management systems will facilitate clients to check production status.
The company plans to foster innovation by establishing a Bio-Venture Initiative within the campus.
The initiative will support emerging bio-ventures by providing a comprehensive range of services, including incubation programmes, technical and commercialisation assistance, and strategic consulting for technology transfers, as well as providing access to investment, legal and accounting resources.
Equipment installed at Plant One
Plant One will be a mammalian cell culture facility. It will incorporate a Titer Flex Quad Bioreactor System™, consisting of flexible eight stainless steel 3kl bioreactors designed for high-titre pharmaceutical production, besides the eight stainless steel 15kl bioreactors.
The installation of multiple 2kl single-use bioreactors in the plant is also being reviewed by the company.
The configuration is intended to meet a range of pharmaceutical production requirements and to provide a one-stop service to customers for drug product development and clinical fill and finish capabilities.
The bioreactor configuration for the plant offers a staged scale-up process in biomanufacturing, starting from a small 120l bioreactor and progressively moving to larger 15kl bioreactors, allowing for efficient and scalable production of biological products, with four centrifuges included for necessary downstream processing steps.
Sustainability features at the campus
The company will install solar panels and implement energy and water recycling systems within the new campus to incorporate sustainable practices.
The planned sustainability measures are expected to result in significant energy savings, with the systems projected to recover more than 50% of cooling and 70% of heating energy, thereby aiding in carbon footprint reduction.
Contractors involved
Lotte Engineering & Construction, a construction engineering company, has been tasked with the design, procurement, and construction of the first plant.
Marketing commentary on Lotte Biologics
Established in 2022 in Seoul, South Korea, LOTTE BIOLOGICS provides a suite of services ranging from contract development to manufacturing. The company supports various stages of product lifecycle, including launches, process verification, and technology transfers.
The Songdo Bio Campus is projected to bring LOTTE BIOLOGICS’ total production capacity to 400kl worldwide, including the East Syracuse pharmaceutical manufacturing facility in New York City, US.
The East Syracuse facility was acquired from Bristol Myers Squibb in 2023. It handles biopharmaceutical antibody production.
