INCHEON, South Korea — Celltrion announced on March 24, 2026, a bold 1.2 trillion KRW (approx. $900 million) investment plan to simultaneously expand its manufacturing bases in South Korea and the United States. This strategic move is designed to catapult the company’s total production capacity from 316,000 liters to 571,000 liters—an 80% increase—strengthening its grip on the global biopharmaceutical market.
Doubling Down on Global Hubs The expansion centers on constructing the 4th and 5th plants in Songdo, Incheon, which will add 180,000 liters of capacity. These facilities will be built as "Smart Factories," equipped to handle everything from high-volume production to small-batch orders for biosimilars and new drug candidates.
Concurrently, Celltrion is accelerating its U.S. presence by expanding its Branchburg facility. The initial expansion plan was scaled up to 75,000 liters, bringing the site’s total Drug Substance (DS) capacity to 141,000 liters. This move aims to ensure a stable supply chain within the U.S. and capture a larger share of the Contract Manufacturing Organization (CMO) market.
Vertical Integration and Cost Leadership A key pillar of this investment is the "100% Internalization" of DS production. By bringing production entirely in-house and expanding Drug Product (DP) capabilities—aiming to cover 90% of global demand internally—Celltrion expects to drastically reduce manufacturing costs and boost profitability.
The new DP facility in Songdo will have an annual capacity of 6.5 million liquid vials. When combined with existing lines and upcoming Pre-Filled Syringe (PFS) upgrades at Celltrion Pharm, the company will possess a formidable end-to-end manufacturing ecosystem.
Vision for 2030 "This investment marks a turning point for Celltrion, allowing us to maximize profitability through cost competitiveness and supply stability," a company official stated. "With an infrastructure that encompasses new drugs, biosimilars, and CMO services, we are firmly on the path to becoming a global top-tier biopharmaceutical leader."
The investment will be rolled out in phases through 2030, with the company remaining open to further expansions depending on future market dynamics.
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