PR Center(News)

[Press Release] PCMO Strengthens Biopharmaceutical Support at BIX 2026

- Showcasing end-to-end manufacturing capabilities from pDNA to drug substance and drug productPCMO (Pilot Center for Microbia Process Optimization) participated in BIOPLUS-INTERPHEX KOREA 2026 (BIX 2026), showcasing its biopharmaceutical development and manufacturing infrastructure and CDMO services while expanding its collaborative network with key organizations in Korea's biotechnology industry.From October 28 to 30, PCMO operated an exhibition booth at BIX 2026, held at COEX in Seoul. Marking its fifth consecutive year of operating an independent booth, PCMO welcomed approximately 120 visitors and held meetings with seven organizations to explore potential collaboration opportunities in biopharmaceutical development and manufacturing.At the exhibition, PCMO placed a particular focus on its recently established mRNA manufacturing facility, highlighting its manufacturing infrastructure and capabilities to support the development of next-generation vaccines and therapeutics. The center introduced its key services, including process development (CDO), cell bank manufacturing, drug substance and drug product manufacturing (CMO), quality control testing and storage, and GMP consulting. Through these services, PCMO demonstrated its ability to support biopharmaceutical companies throughout the development and manufacturing process, from process development to manufacturing and quality control, tailored to their respective development stages and needs.With the establishment of its mRNA manufacturing facility, PCMO has expanded its capabilities beyond microbial-based biopharmaceutical manufacturing to include support for mRNA drug development and production. In particular, PCMO has established an integrated manufacturing infrastructure that enables processes ranging from pDNA manufacturing, mRNA synthesis, and delivery system manufacturing to drug substance and drug product manufacturing.These capabilities are expected to enable PCMO to support the production of clinical trial materials and process validation for biopharmaceutical companies, providing an integrated support system from early-stage development through GMP-based manufacturing. By reducing the burden of establishing manufacturing infrastructure and improving the efficiency of process development and validation, PCMO aims to contribute to shortening biopharmaceutical development timelines.Through its participation in BIX 2026, PCMO plans to continue strengthening its CDMO capabilities to address the evolving needs of biopharmaceutical companies and contribute to the advancement of technological development and the expansion of the business ecosystem in Korea's biotechnology industry.

[Press Release] PCMO Director Min Cho Receives Hwasun County Award for Contributions to the Local Bi

- Recognized for advancing the local bioindustry and fostering skilled talent▲Min Cho, Director of PCMOMin Cho, Director of PCMO (Public CDMO for Microbial-Based Vaccine), received the Hwasun County Award in the Community Development category at the 45th Hwasun County Day celebration on October 16, in recognition of contributions to the development of Hwasun’s bioindustry and the growth of the local community.Over the past nine years, Director Cho has led PCMO in establishing and operating key biopharmaceutical production and demonstration facilities, which serve as core infrastructure for the Hwasun Vaccine Industry Special Zone. By providing companies with the support they need throughout the drug development and manufacturing process, he has helped lay the foundation for Hwasun’s growth into a major hub for the biopharmaceutical industry.In particular, during the COVID-19 pandemic, PCMO leveraged its capabilities to support vaccine development and contribute to the response to the infectious disease crisis. These efforts helped raise the profile of Hwasun’s biopharmaceutical development and manufacturing capabilities and demonstrated the important role the local bioindustry can play in the national infectious disease response system.Expanding educational infrastructure to foster skilled professionals in the bioindustry has also been one of PCMO’s key achievements. In 2025, PCMO completed the construction of its education center, creating an environment for training professionals equipped with practical skills in manufacturing, quality control, and other areas essential to the industry.This award recognizes the contributions of PCMO, under the leadership of Director Min Cho, to the growth of the local bioindustry and to Hwasun’s continued development as a leading center for the bioindustry.

[Press Release] “Bringing Drug Development Companies Together”

- Network event for AAV and mRNA companies to be held at Suwon Convention Center on October 14- Expert presentations and consulting sessions covering drug development, biopharmaceutical manufacturing, commercialization, and investmentThe Microbial-Based Biopharmaceutical Manufacturing Center (PCMO) and Hwasun Chonnam National University Hospital will jointly host the “Drug Development Commercialization Support Network” event on October 14 (Wednesday), from 1:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m. at the Suwon Convention Center.The event is designed for companies and organizations involved in microbial-based therapeutics, AAV and mRNA development, CDMO services, and the broader drug development and biopharmaceutical industries. The event is co-hosted by PCMO and the Advanced Precision Medical Industrialization Support Center of Hwasun Chonnam National University Hospital, with BXPLANT as a participating partner.PCMO will introduce its manufacturing facilities and equipment for microbial-based pharmaceuticals and finished drug products, including vials and prefilled syringes. The center will also showcase its CDMO infrastructure and support services for companies pursuing drug development and commercialization.The event will feature expert presentations covering key areas of drug development, including clinical development, regulatory affairs and commercialization, CDMO/CRO utilization, and investment. Following a presentation by Byung-Kwon Kim, Team Leader at Hwasun Chonnam National University Hospital, Jin-Young Song, Team Leader at PCMO, will introduce biopharmaceutical manufacturing and PCMO’s CDMO infrastructure and support services.The expert sessions will include:Regulatory and commercialization strategies for advancing biopharmaceuticals into clinical development — Won-Seok Yang, Professor, School of Pharmacy, Sungkyunkwan UniversityOpen innovation strategies for drug development validation and co-development — Eum Hyun-Ae, Executive Director, HuonsStrategies to enhance technology value for investment attraction — Ki-Soo Park, Executive Vice President, Solidus InvestmentSelecting CDMO/CRO partners and managing outsourcing throughout the drug development process — Sung-Il Kim, Executive Director, BXPLANTFollowing the expert sessions, participants will have the opportunity to engage in open networking. Pre-registered participants can also receive one-on-one consulting on preclinical/clinical development, business development, investment IR, and CDMO services.

[Press Release] PCMO to Participate in GBC 2026, Expanding into AAV Production and Cell & Viral Vect

- Strengthening biopharmaceutical CDMO capabilities through its mRNA manufacturing facility- Expanding services in the cell and viral vector fields with the establishment of an AAV production line▲ PCMO FacilityPCMO will participate in the 2026 Global Bio Conference (GBC 2026), taking place from August 26 to 28 at Grand InterContinental Seoul Parnas Hotel. At the event, PCMO will showcase its expanding capabilities in next-generation biopharmaceutical fields, including mRNA and AAV, in addition to its existing biopharmaceutical CDMO services.GBC 2026 is an international biopharmaceutical conference hosted by the Ministry of Food and Drug Safety (MFDS) and organized by the KoreaBIO. The conference brings together industry professionals from Korea and around the world to discuss global industry trends, regulatory issues, and technological developments in the biopharmaceutical sector.▲PCMO Poster at GBC 2026During the conference, PCMO will display promotional materials highlighting its CDMO infrastructure and capabilities spanning the entire biopharmaceutical development and manufacturing process, from development and production to quality control. The materials will introduce PCMO’s end-to-end CDMO services, including Contract Development and Organization (CDO), Contract Manufacturing Organization (CMO), quality testing, and storage (QC & Storage), as well as its key manufacturing capabilities for pDNA, mRNA, liquid and lyophilized vials, and prefilled syringes (PFS).In particular, PCMO will highlight its biopharmaceutical manufacturing capabilities for mRNA-based therapeutics and vaccines, centered on its newly established mRNA manufacturing facility. Based on an integrated manufacturing platform covering mRNA process development, in vitro transcription (IVT), and lipid nanoparticle (LNP) formulation, PCMO will introduce its infrastructure designed to support the development and manufacturing needs of companies working with mRNA-based products.PCMO is also expanding its CDMO business into AAV (adeno-associated virus) and cell- and virus-based therapeutics and vaccines. The AAV production line is currently under construction, with operations targeted to begin in December 2026. Through this infrastructure, PCMO plans to establish a comprehensive support system for companies developing viral vector-based therapeutics, covering the full process from research and development to manufacturing and quality control.

[Press Release] PCMO and VIEL-T Join Forces for mRNA Drug Development and Manufacturing

- Sign MOU to Collaborate on Process Development and GMP Manufacturing▲ MOU Signed for Process Development and GMP Manufacturing CollaborationHwasun, Jeollanam-do, South Korea — PCMO announced that it signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with VIEL-T on July 9 to strengthen collaboration in the development and manufacturing of mRNA therapeutics.VIEL-T is a biotechnology venture specializing in next-generation RNA therapeutics. Leveraging a proprietary platform technology that directly targets disease-causing RNA, the company is advancing the development of first-in-class RNA therapeutics for a wide range of indications, including infectious diseases, cancer, and autoimmune disorders. Through this partnership, the two organizations will collaborate across the entire mRNA drug development value chain—from process development and GMP manufacturing to commercialization.Under the agreement, the two organizations will cooperate in the following areas ▲Provision of proprietary mRNA and RNA technologies and related products▲Research and developmentprocess development,GMP manufacturing andcommercialization support for mRNA therapeutics▲Discovery of new pipelines and joint R&D based on proprietary platform technologies▲Customized technology commercialization support▲Exchange of industry trends and technical information▲Shared utilization of facilities and manufacturing equipmentAs part of the collaboration, VIEL-T will focus on contract research (CRO) activities, while PCMO will provide GMP-based process development and contract development and manufacturing (CDMO) services. By combining their respective expertise, the two organizations aim to accelerate the development and commercialization of mRNA therapeutics.Recently, PCMO completed the construction of its mRNA manufacturing facility, establishing an integrated GMP production platform covering the entire manufacturing process from plasmid DNA (pDNA) production to drug product (DP) manufacturing. Building on this infrastructure, PCMO plans to expand support for process development, production of non-clinical and clinical trial materials, process validation, and commercial manufacturing to facilitate the successful development and commercialization of mRNA therapeutics.

[Press Release] PCMO Gains Strong Response for Pharmaceutical and Bio Training

- Competition ratio reaches approximately 6:1, with early closure of applications- Hands-on training program for job seekers receives strong response▲ On-site quality testing practice sessionPCMO announced that it successfully completed the “2026 Pharmaceutical & Bio GMP Comprehensive Training Program”, which was held from June 30 to July 2 for Chonnam National University graduating students and prospective graduates.Held during the summer break, the program drew strong interest from students seeking to strengthen their job readiness, attracting significant attention from the recruitment stage. With 20 participants selected and an application-to-seat ratio of approximately 6:1, the program closed early, reflecting the high level of interest.The training program was designed to enhance practical understanding for students preparing for careers in the pharmaceutical and bio industries. It covered a broad range of topics, from the fundamentals of Good Manufacturing Practice (GMP) for pharmaceuticals to key procedures applied in actual industrial settings.▲ Tour of the process development facilityThe curriculum was centered on current Good Manufacturing Practice (cGMP) and included practical modules on the pharmaceutical industry, biopharmaceutical production processes, cell culture and purification process training, and protein testing.In particular, this year’s program focused on practical training in microbiology and quality control, allowing participants to gain hands-on understanding of cleanliness requirements in pharmaceutical manufacturing environments and other critical control elements emphasized in the field. Through these sessions, trainees were able to deepen their understanding of the overall biopharmaceutical production and quality management process, while directly experiencing the fundamental GMP operational framework required in industry.PCMO plans to continue expanding hands-on training programs for job seekers in the future. The center will steadily operate related educational programs to provide local young talent aspiring to enter the pharmaceutical and bio industries with practical opportunities to build job-related understanding and explore career paths.