김보람
| 2023-03-29 15:29:09
Celltrion-goal
Celltrion chairman vows to help his company become world-leading biosimilar maker by 2030
SEOUL, March 29 (Yonhap) -- Seo Jung-jin, the founder and chairman of South Korean biopharmaceutical firm Celltrion Inc., said Wednesday that he will strive to help his company become a leading biosimilar maker globally by 2030.
At the shareholders meeting earlier this week, Seo was appointed as co-chairman of the board of directors of Celltrion, returning to management two years after leaving the company.
"By 2030, 60 percent of our annual sales will come from biosimilar medicine and 40 percent from new original drugs," he said in an online press conference. "Celltrion will become a global leader in the biosimilar industry and a major player in the new drug market."
As part of the plan, Celltrion will carry out clinical trials for 10 new treatments, including six new antibody drugs next year as a first step, he said.
"To reduce risks, we will seek collaboration in developing new products with multinational firms," he said. "Some will participate in the first or second phase of clinical tests."
Seo, who had retired in end-2020, said his company is ready to buy blue chip pharmaceutical companies and health care startups at home and abroad, many of which are underestimated amid an economic slowdown.
"We are looking into many firms that can create synergy with our health care business," he said. "We're planning to raise some 5 trillion won (US$3.8 billion) for possible mergers and acquisitions through cash and other assets like stocks."
Foreign media outlets have reported Celltrion is considering bidding for the biopharma solutions business of U.S. medical device maker Baxter International Inc. But the Korean company said nothing has been determined yet.
Celltrion posted 2.3 trillion won in sales last year, with 537.9 billion won in net profit.
(END)
[ⓒ K-VIBE. 무단전재-재배포 금지]