CEO touts 12-month turnaround from cell development to clinical dosing in latest deal with UK's Ottimo
BOSTON -- Lotte Biologics officially signed a contract manufacturing agreement with UK biotech firm Ottimo Pharma at this year’s Bio USA on Tuesday. Under the agreement, Lotte Biologics will produce the drug substance for Ottimo’s antibody-based new drug, Jankistomig, at its Syracuse Bio Campus in New York.
“The deal is another strong validation of Lotte Biologics’ competitiveness as a CDMO player in the global antibody drug market,” said Lotte Biologics CEO James Park during a press briefing held on the sidelines of Bio USA in Boston, Wednesday.
“Ottimo is an emerging player in the industry, actively developing bispecific antibodies. In collaboration with our synthetic biology partner Asmov, we have planned the entire process — from cell line development to first patient dosing — at an unprecedented speed of just 12 months.”
Currently, Lotte Biologics offers end-to-end CDMO services at the Syracuse site, ranging from cell line development to large-scale biologics manufacturing. The company is also on track to begin operations at its first manufacturing plant in Songdo, Incheon, by 2027. With a production capacity of 120,000 liters, the facility is capable of handling large-scale global contracts.
To offer clients customized solutions, the company is also entering strategic partnerships with global contract development and drug product firms. These alliances aim to support new drug development from early-stage R&D to commercialization.
“When we succeed in clinical development with biotech firms, we also have the capacity to follow through to commercialization. This aligns perfectly with our long-term strategy,” Park emphasized.
Lotte Biologics made its official entry into the global CDMO market in 2022 by acquiring Bristol Myers Squibb’s biologics manufacturing plant in Syracuse. Since then, the company has invested around $100 million into the campus to build out 1,000-liter purification capacity and ADC production infrastructure, bolstering its footprint as a biologics hub in North America.
“Due to geopolitical risks and supply chain uncertainties, some clients are planning to localize their production back to the US. Our Syracuse site provides a strategic advantage, particularly since we’re currently the only CDMO in the US with ADC conjugation capabilities,” Park added.
The CEO highlighted that the newly expanded ADC facility incorporates advanced safety design, contamination prevention systems, high-efficiency production lines and rigorous quality control.
“With over 20 years of experience, our former BMS staff are technical experts. Cross-training is ongoing, and we maintain high-quality standards for internal tech transfers, which is an important factor for clients considering commercial-scale manufacturing,” he said.
Meanwhile, the Songdo Bio Campus, currently under construction, will serve as a large-scale commercial manufacturing site.
“While Syracuse remains our central one-stop hub, if production volumes increase, transferring to Songdo for high-volume production is always an option. We’re currently in talks with both large pharmaceutical firms and mid-sized players for this package deal,” Park noted.
Also attending Bio USA was Lotte Biologics’ Head of Global Strategy, Shin Yoo-yeol, the eldest son of Lotte Group Chairman Shin Dong-bin, who held meetings with international partners and closely monitored industry trends. Lotte Biologics confirmed that they have held more than 50 meetings at this year's Bio USA.
“We may be a latecomer in Korea’s bio industry, but we’re open-minded about collaborating with established players, especially in rising areas like ADCs and biosimilars,” Park added. “For ADCs, our goal is to secure five or six contracts in the second half of this year.”
hykim@heraldcorp.com
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