GreenLight Biosciences, a biotechnology company, and Samsung Biologics, a global CDMO, have announced a partnership agreement in which Samsung will manufacture GreenLight’s messenger RNA COVID-19 vaccine candidate at commercial scale.
The partnership aims to accelerate the production of GreenLight’s COVID-19 vaccine candidate for Phase III clinical trials and, subject to regulatory approval, commercial sales. The collaboration will leverage GreenLight’s existing manufacturing process, with technology transfer from to Samsung starting immediately.
Both companies say they are committed to vaccine equity, as GreenLight outlined in its Blueprint To Vaccinate The World in March 2021. This vision aligns with calls by CEPI and others for concrete actions to increase vaccine manufacturing capacity across the world, not just for COVID-19, but other infectious diseases.
“We are delighted to partner with Samsung to manufacture messenger RNA for our Covid vaccine trial. There is an urgent need to develop vaccines for the whole world,” said GreenLight CEO Andrey Zarur. “Our vaccine trial will open the way to make vaccines that are available to everybody, not just citizens of developed countries.”
“We are delighted to partner with GreenLight to leverage our expertise in manufacturing a messenger RNA COVID-19 vaccine candidate to better serve patients in lower income countries,” said John Rim, CEO of Samsung Biologics. “This collaboration demonstrates a major milestone for Samsung Biologics as we will commence our expanded capabilities and operations to provide one-stop end-to-end messenger RNA production from drug substance to aseptic fill finish to commercial release, all from a single site. At this time of urgent global demand, we will strive for seamless service across our biomanufacturing network to fight the COVID pandemic and in turn, help make progress towards Korea's vaccine hub goal.”
