BIO USA 2023 to draw S.Korean biotech leaders, startups

More than 500 South Korean companies from top business groups to AI-based biotech startups are slated to attend the Bio International Convention 2023 (BIO USA 2023) in Boston next week, seeking business opportunities in the world’s largest biotech market.

During the June 5-8 event, Samsung Biologics Co. will set up an exhibition booth at the center of the convention hall. The booth measuring 167 square meters will be the second-largest among those prepared by participating companies.

A Samsung Biologics official said it will share new technologies for antibody-drug conjugates (ADCs) and messenger RNA (mRNA) as the world’s largest sustainable contract development and manufacturing organization (CDMO).

ADCs are designed to target and kill tumor cells. mRNA is a type of RNA necessary for protein production.

Last month, Samsung Group leader Jay Y. Lee vowed to make biotechnology the conglomerate’s second core strategic business after semiconductors.

Lotte Biologics Co. will introduce its CDMO business to future clients and business partners. It will build a big CDMO plant in Songdo, Incheon with a production capacity of 360,000 liters per year by 2030.

Last year, the retail-focused group acquired Bristol Myers Squibb's (BMS) biologics plant in Syracuse in the state of New York for $160 million.

Other South Korean companies set to join the event include Celltrion Inc., South Korea’s biggest biosimilar maker; Cha Bio Complex; ABL Bio Inc. ; TiumBio Co. ; and Bridge Biotherapeutics Inc.

Some 9,100 companies have registered for the BIO USA 2023 as of May 30. 

Write to Jeong Min Nam at peux@hankyung.com
Yeonhee Kim edited this article.