▲ Booth of PCMO at BIO KOREA 2025

▲ LED display at PCMO booth at BIO KOREA 2025

Jeonnam Hwasun PCMO (Director: Cho Min, hereinafter referred to as the Center) announced on the 12th that it had successfully concluded its participation in "BIO KOREA 2025," held from May 7 to 9 at COEX in Seoul.

At the event, the Center showcased its achievements since its establishment in 2017 as a public CDMO specializing in microbial production, and revealed its plans to expand into mRNA CDMO operations. Since beginning full operations in 2019, the Center has conducted 130 projects, including FDA IND approvals and Phase 3 clinical trial material production. It also boasts over 100 validated test methods and more than 300 manufacturing records, rapidly solidifying its position within the industry.

The Center is set to commence operations of its mRNA manufacturing facility in the third quarter of this year. This facility, built around a 1,000L bioreactor, is capable of producing mRNA drug substance from pDNA to mRNA and LNPs. With a working volume range of 0.2L to 25L, the facility has the capacity to manufacture mRNA vaccines sufficient for a single dose for the entire Korean population annually.

Additionally, the Center is actively pursuing business expansion around this mRNA manufacturing facility. It aims to establish a full production system by next year, spanning from non-clinical samples to emergency national vaccine supply. A new pre-filled syringe line with isolator specifications is also under construction, enabling the production of finished drug products in 1ml pre-filled syringes and 2R, 6R vials—significantly broadening the scope of operations.

▲ From left: PCMO main plant, mRNA Bulilding, and education center

The education center, slated for completion in June 2025, and the "Vaccine Specialist Training Program" also garnered much attention. As the largest GMP training facility in the Gwangju-Jeonnam region, it will be equipped with state-of-the-art pharmaceutical manufacturing and analytical equipment including 50L bioreactors, autoclaves, continuous centrifuges, HPLC, and LC-MS. This will enable hands-on training across all stages—from microbial cultivation to quality control—attracting strong interest from educational institutions and students.

Recently, the National Bio Committee announced the “K-Bio Grand Transformation Strategy,” targeting the world’s top CDMO sales and a KRW 1 trillion public-private fund. In line with this, the Center plans to strengthen its role as Korea’s only public CDMO covering microbial and mRNA production, serving as key infrastructure to support corporate growth and technology commercialization.

BIO KOREA 2025, marking its 20th anniversary, was co-hosted by the Korea Health Industry Development Institute and Chungcheongbuk-do. It is the nation’s largest biohealth industry event, drawing participation from 769 companies across 61 countries. The event featured exhibitions, business partnering, investment fairs, and conferences. Leading global pharmaceutical firms such as Lonza, Johnson & Johnson, and Celltrion, as well as startups, research institutions, and investors, gathered in a major show of industry interest.