Boryeong Signs Global CDMO Agreement with Zuellig Pharma

Boryeong Corporation announced on October 30 that it has signed a contract development and manufacturing organization (CDMO) agreement with Zuellig Pharma, a leading Asian healthcare solutions company, to supply the original cytotoxic anticancer drug Alimta (ingredient: pemetrexed) in Southeast Asia.

Under this agreement, Boryeong will supply Alimta injections to seven Southeast Asian countries-namely, the Philippines, Thailand, Malaysia, Indonesia, Brunei, Cambodia, and Myanmar-starting in 2027. The contract period is five years, and production will be carried out at the Boryeong Yesan Campus. Boryeong expects that, with this collaboration, profit growth will accelerate once regulatory approvals are completed in each country.

Boryeong Yesan Campus view. Boryeong

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Boryeong has been pursuing strategic goals beyond simple production and supply, such as 'qualitative improvement of its profit structure' and the 'global transformation of its business model.' This began last year with a cytotoxic anticancer drug supply agreement with Lotus Pharmaceutical in Taiwan, followed by a supply contract for Zyprexa with Cheplapharm in July, and now the Alimta supply agreement with Zuellig Pharma.

As part of its strategy to acquire original pharmaceutical businesses, Boryeong obtained domestic rights to Alimta in 2022 and transitioned to in-house production. The company has since strengthened its competitiveness by successfully improving formulations with the launch of a liquid product. Boryeong emphasized, "This experience demonstrates that Boryeong has gone beyond simple acquisition and supply, internalizing manufacturing and R&D capabilities based on original products and increasing business value." The company explained that this collaboration with Zuellig Pharma is evidence of Boryeong's ongoing expansion of its global CDMO business, especially in the cytotoxic anticancer drug sector.

Cytotoxic anticancer drugs continue to play a vital role in cancer treatment, but the global market has seen frequent shortages and supply delays due to production cutbacks by major pharmaceutical companies. Through the acquisition of pharmaceutical businesses, Boryeong has accumulated experience supplying cytotoxic anticancer drugs such as Gemzar and Alimta, earning recognition as a company capable of providing a stable and reliable supply chain even amid supply uncertainties.

Boryeong's outstanding manufacturing competitiveness is cited as a key factor behind this achievement. The Boryeong Yesan Campus, completed in 2019 as a state-of-the-art smart factory, received EU-GMP (European Union Good Manufacturing Practice) certification in 2023, demonstrating its global capabilities. By optimizing production capacity, Boryeong has improved productivity and created higher added value using the same facilities. In addition, by meeting global quality standards, the company is regarded as a trusted partner by a variety of global companies.

Kim Sungjin, Chief Strategy Officer (CSO) at Boryeong, described the partnership with Zuellig Pharma as "an important milestone for Boryeong's expansion based on global partnerships," emphasizing, "CDMO is especially significant because it is a business structure that can improve the quality of profits rather than simply achieving external growth." Kim added, "Based on global-level production infrastructure, quality, and R&D capabilities, Boryeong will establish itself as a stable and reliable global supply specialist in the field of cytotoxic anticancer drugs."

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