GI innovation·Merck signed MOU to develop new drugs

GI-SMARTTM platform technology combined with Merck's CHOZN expression system

Accelerate the development of cell lines

CEO Hong Joon-ho of GI innovation (third to the left) Kim Yong-seok, head of Merck Life Science (fourth to the left)

GI innovation announced on the 10th that it has signed an MOU with Merck for the manufacture and development of new biopharmaceuticals.

 

This is the first time Merck, which has maintained cooperative relationships with CDMO (Consignment Production and Development) companies such as Samsung Biologics and Binex, has cooperated with Biotech in Korea to support the manufacture and development of new biopharmaceuticals.

 

Merck is known to have highly appreciated GI innovation's know-how in developing CHO-produced cell lines and various pipelines.

 

Hong Joon-ho, CEO of GI innovation, Cho Young-kyu, Oh Young-min, and Kim Yong-seok, general manager of Merck Life Science process solution business, attended the signing ceremony held at Ginnovation headquarters on the 9th.

 

Through this cooperation, the two companies plan to create synergy in the development of new bio drugs through the use of the Merck CHOZN Platform and educational consulting for researchers.

 

Merck's CHOZN expression system is a platform that can develop high productivity and stable production cell lines.

 

In fact, creating biopharmaceuticals with Chinese Hamster Oval requires a long period of time (3 to 8 months), development know-how, and expensive large-scale facilities to reduce the risk of external contamination, and Merck's CHOZN expression system enables fast access to cell lines and biopharmaceutical production processes.

 

As a result, GI innovation expects the development of high-protein cell lines that produce large-sized multi-targeted drug proteins that were difficult to manufacture through the close combination of its GI-SMARTTM platform technology and CHOZN expression system.

 

In addition, it is expected to save time and money through the smooth supply of various subsidiary materials and increase the productivity of biopharmaceutical development.

 

"GI innovation's own technology and global company Merck's bioprocessing technology are expected to meet to reduce time and cost in manufacturing and developing biopharmaceuticals," said Hong Joon-ho, CEO of GI innovation.

 

He said, "As it is the first collaborative model with Biotech in Korea, not a large company, we hope that synergy between the two companies will produce excellent results." Merck aims to support GI Innovation's new fusion protein drug development process and further accelerate access to cancer and allergy drugs worldwide, said Kim Yong-seok, general manager of Merck Life Science process solution business.

 

Through Merck's expertise in bioprocessing development, we expect to provide customers with the solutions necessary to solve the challenges throughout the new drug development process, he said.