Samsung Biologics unveils two new CDO platforms at BPI

Samsung Biologics announced on the 25th that it unveiled two new contract development (CDO) platforms at BioProcess International (BPI) 2024, a global biopharma conference.

The newly introduced S-AfuCHO™ and S-OptiCharge™ are expected to further boost CDO customer satisfaction by enhancing antibodies’ anticancer effects and enabling the production of high-quality proteins, respectively.

BPI is a global biopharma industry event where participants share the latest technologies and discuss partnerships across all areas of biopharmaceutical development, manufacturing and analysis. Held annually in Boston, this year’s conference runs for four days, from Sept. 23 to 26 (local time). More than 3,200 global biopharma professionals are expected to attend, with over 220 companies exhibiting.

Samsung Biologics has exhibited at BPI for seven consecutive years, starting in 2018, when it entered the CDO business. On Sept. 24, the second day of the event, the company unveiled its new CDO platforms, S-AfuCHO and S-OptiCharge, during a speaking session.

S-AfuCHO is an afucosylated cell-line platform that enables the production of antibodies with enhanced antibody-dependent cellular cytotoxicity (ADCC), a key indicator of anticancer activity.

Afucosylation refers to the removal of a sugar called fucose. Antibodies without fucose have stronger ADCC, which increases the immune response. Afucosylated antibodies can be used to make antibody drugs that are more effective in treating diseases such as cancer.

By knocking out the FUT8 enzyme, a key factor in fucose expression associated with anticancer activity, starting at the cell-line development stage, Samsung Biologics increased antibodies’ anticancer effects 14-fold compared with conventional cell lines.

S-OptiCharge is a platform for controlling protein charge variants. Charge variants that arise during protein manufacturing can affect the efficacy and stability of biopharmaceuticals, making them a regulatory concern defined as critical quality attributes (CQAs).

S-OptiCharge enables precise control of protein charge variants by screening media and additives and optimizing key process parameters such as oxygen concentration and temperature. The platform further strengthens Samsung Biologics’ ability to produce high-quality proteins with the charge profiles its customers require.

On Sept. 25, the third day of BPI, Samsung Biologics hosted a networking seminar for key customers. The event featured an introduction to the company’s CDO capabilities and discussions on industry trends.

With the addition of S-AfuCHO and S-OptiCharge, Samsung Biologics now offers a total of nine CDO platforms and services. At the 2024 BIO International Convention in San Diego in June, the company unveiled S-Tensify™, a platform supporting high-density cell culture development, and SelecTailor™, a new brand for its customized development solutions. Samsung Biologics is also promoting its CDO capabilities, including through this year’s new CDO slogan: “Agile. Flexible. Focused on You.”

Samsung Biologics also set up a booth at BPI to actively pursue new customer contracts. Wall graphics highlighted its planned production capacity of 1.324 million liters by 2032, the differentiated strengths of its contract development services, and its expanded portfolio, including antibodies, antibody-drug conjugates (ADCs) and messenger RNA (mRNA).