Samsung BioLogics Co., a biopharmaceutical business arm of South Korea’s top conglomerate Samsung Group, has signed a contract development organization (CDO) contract with clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company Eutilex Co. to develop anticancer immunotherapy medicines.

Under the deal announced on Wednesday, Samsung BioLogics will develop cell lines for 15 immuno-oncology candidates currently being developed by Eutilex and produce materials for first clinical trial stage over a period of five years.

Eutilex was founded by immunology expert Kwon Byeong-se in 2015 as a developer of immuno-antibody therapeutics to treat cancers and autoimmune diseases. The company joined the secondary Kosdaq in December, last year.

Eutilex’s pipeline includes antibody to T cell and CAR-T cell therapies in the vast area of immuno-oncology. It carries out nonclinical and clinical research to bring early commercialization of multiple candidate substances and technologies.

Samsung BioLogics, meanwhile, expanded its business from contract drug manufacturing to development last year, backed by Samsung Group that aims to nurture biopharmaceutical business as its growth engine. In less than a year, Samsung BioLogics managed to sign development contracts with six companies from home and abroad to develop new drugs, including that with Eutilex.

CDO involves Samsung BioLogics to develop cell lines so that clients are able to more efficiently produce drug candidate substances under development. It also involves developing process for mass production and producing substances for clinical tests. The global CDO market has grown at an annual average of more than 15 percent in recent years amid more development of biomedical products.

Kim Tae-han, chief executive of Samsung BioLogics, said that the company will strive to provide services so that local bio ventures such as Eutilex are able to advance into the global market and engage in early commercialization of developments through its CDO technology.

By Kim Byung-ho and Lee Eun-joo

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