Samsung Biologics to Begin Large Scale Manufacturing of SARS-COV-2 Antibodies

Samsung Biologics (Songdo, South Korea) has entered into a manufacturing agreement with Vir Biotechnology, Inc. (San Francisco, CA, USA) for large scale manufacturing services for Vir's SARS-CoV-2 monoclonal antibody (mAb) program.

Samsung Biologics is a fully integrated CDMO offering state-of-the-art contract development, manufacturing, and laboratory testing services. Vir is a clinical-stage immunology company focused on combining immunologic insights with cutting-edge technologies to treat and prevent serious infectious diseases. The company has assembled four technology platforms that are designed to stimulate and enhance the immune system by exploiting critical observations of natural immune processes. Its current development pipeline consists of product candidates targeting hepatitis B virus, influenza A, SARS-CoV-2, human immunodeficiency virus, and tuberculosis.

Vir's lead SARS-CoV-2 mAb development candidates, VIR-7831 and VIR-7832, have demonstrated high affinity for the SARS-CoV-2 spike protein and are highly potent in neutralizing SARS-CoV-2 in live-virus cellular assays. The company plans to proceed directly into a phase 2 clinical trial within the next three to five months. Samsung Biologics is expected to commence its manufacturing as early as October with the first engineering run, with potential commercial batches to be manufactured starting in 2021.

"We are proud to be working as a partner with Vir in their response to the global COVID-19 pandemic," said Dr. Tae Han Kim, CEO of Samsung Biologics. "With millions of people being impacted by this virus, accessibility to effective treatment is paramount. Vir's candidate molecules supported by Samsung Biologics' production scale have the potential to bring hope to countless lives across nations suffering from COVID-19."

"Given the trajectory of the COVID-19 pandemic, our expectation is that there will be a significant need around the world for antibody therapies," said George Scangos, Ph.D., CEO, Vir. "Accordingly, we are taking proactive steps to reserve large scale manufacturing capacity to be ready to move quickly with any of our antibody candidates that prove to be clinically safe and effective. We are pleased to partner with Samsung Biologics who share our commitment to work with exceptional speed to address this pandemic."

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Samsung Biologics
Vir Biotechnology, Inc.