Samsung Biologics establishes first U.S. manufacturing base with acquisition of GSK site – Chemical Engineering


April 3, 2026 | By Mary Bailey

Samsung Biologics, a leading contract development and manufacturing organization (CDMO), announced the completion of its acquisition of a manufacturing facility in Rockville, Maryland from GSK, establishing the company’s first manufacturing presence in the United States.

The Rockville site comprises two cGMP manufacturing plants with a combined 60,000-liter drug substance capacity, supporting both clinical and commercial biologics production across multiple manufacturing scales. With this addition, Samsung Biologics’ total global manufacturing capacity increases to 845,000 liters.

Samsung Biologics will continue supplying the products previously manufactured at the site to GSK under the terms of the agreement, and the site will transition to serve additional contract manufacturing needs. Samsung Biologics also plans further investments to expand the site’s capacity and upgrade technologies, reinforcing its long-term commitment to advancing a more resilient global supply chain and improving patient access to critical medicines.

“This represents a meaningful step in expanding our U.S. manufacturing footprint. The addition of the Rockville site strengthens our ability to operate a geographically diversified manufacturing network, and we are thrilled to officially welcome more than 500 colleagues at the site to the Samsung Biologics family,” said John Rim, President and CEO of Samsung Biologics. “The Rockville team brings deep expertise and strong operational experience that will further strengthen the site as part of our global manufacturing network. As a CDMO, our mission is to help our partners bring important therapies to patients worldwide, and this site will play a pivotal role in that mission while ensuring continuity and upholding the high standards our clients expect.”

The completion follows the previously announced agreement to acquire the facility on December 22, 2025.

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Samsung Biologics secures first manufacturing base in U.S.



(Samsung Biologics) 사진 확대 (Samsung Biologics)

Samsung Biologics Co. has expanded its global production network by securing its first manufacturing base in the United States.

Samsung Biologics announced on Wednesday that it completed the acquisition of a biopharmaceutical production facility in Rockville, Maryland, previously owned by GSK Plc, as of Tuesday, local time. The deal was carried out through its subsidiary, Samsung Biologics America.

The Rockville site is a drug substance (DS) manufacturing plant with total capacity of 60,000 liters, comprising two production buildings. It is equipped with infrastructure capable of producing antibody therapeutics at various scales, from clinical-stage to commercial production.

With this acquisition, Samsung Biologics has expanded its total production capacity to 845,000 liters from 785,000 liters. The company said that it has now established a dual production system connecting Songdo, Korea, and Rockville, enabling more stable and flexible supply to global clients.

In particular, securing a production base in North America is expected to strengthen responsiveness to local customers and further enhance competitiveness in winning global contracts.

Samsung Biologics has retained all approximately 500 employees at the Rockville facility, ensuring operational continuity. It plans to pursue stable supply of existing products while expanding new orders through integrated operations between the two production bases.

The company said it will also review further investment, including capacity expansion and technology upgrades at the Rockville facility, based on mid- to long-term demand and utilization.

“This represents a meaningful step in expanding our U.S. manufacturing footprint,” said John Rim, president and chief executive officer of Samsung Biologics. “The Rockville team brings deep expertise and strong operational experience that will further strengthen the site as part of our global manufacturing network.”

By Wang Hae-na and Chang Iou-chung
[ⓒ Pulse by Maeil Business News Korea & mk.co.kr, All rights reserved]

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Samsung Biologics completes acquisition of US manufacturing facility



Officials cut a ceremonial ribbon during an event marking Samsung Biologics’ acquisition of a biopharmaceutical manufacturing plant in Rockville, Md., Tuesday (local time). From front row fifth from left, are Korean Ambassador to the United States Kang Kyung-wha, Samsung Biologics CEO John Rim, Maryland Gov. Wes Moore and Congresswoman April Delaney. Courtesy of Samsung Biologics

Officials cut a ceremonial ribbon during an event marking Samsung Biologics’ acquisition of a biopharmaceutical manufacturing plant in Rockville, Md., Tuesday (local time). From front row fifth from left, are Korean Ambassador to the United States Kang Kyung-wha, Samsung Biologics CEO John Rim, Maryland Gov. Wes Moore and Congresswoman April Delaney. Courtesy of Samsung Biologics

Samsung Biologics has closed the deal to acquire GSK’s facility in Rockville, Md., establishing the biopharmaceutical firm’s first manufacturing base in the United States, the company said Wednesday.

In its regulatory filing, the Korean company said its wholly owned subsidiary Samsung Biologics America has completed the acquisition of Human Genome Sciences, which owns a drug substance manufacturing facility in the U.S. from GSK for a total of $353.1 million.

Of the amount, $280 million is for the acquisition of the facility and equity, while the remaining $73.1 million was paid for the transfer of inventories and raw materials held by Human Genome Sciences.

The deal’s closure came three months after Samsung Biologics announced the acquisition on Dec. 22 last year, as part of its efforts to mitigate risks stemming from the Trump administration’s tariffs on biopharmaceuticals, as well as to expand its contract drug manufacturing capacity beyond Korea.

Samsung Biologics' biopharmaceutical manufacturing site in Rockville, Md. / Courtesy of Samsung Biologics

Samsung Biologics’ biopharmaceutical manufacturing site in Rockville, Md. / Courtesy of Samsung Biologics

The Rockville site is comprised of two manufacturing plants with a combined 60,000-liter drug substance capacity, supporting both clinical and commercial biologics production across multiple manufacturing scales.

The acquisition increased Samsung Biologics’ total global manufacturing capacity to 845,000 liters per year from 785,000 liters.

Despite being one of the world’s largest contract drug manufacturers, Samsung Biologics had been exposed to supply chain risks, as all of its manufacturing facilities were located in Korea prior to the acquisition.

With the acquisition, Samsung Biologics will be able to provide clients with more flexible multi-site manufacturing options in both the U.S. and Korea, strengthening collaboration with North American customers and enhancing its ability to respond to regional changes in the supply environment.

Samsung Biologics said it will continue supplying the products previously manufactured at the site to GSK under the terms of the agreement, as well as serving additional contract manufacturing needs. The company plans further investments to expand the site’s capacity and upgrade technologies. It will retain more than 500 employees at the site to ensure operational continuity and stability.

Samsung Biologics CEO John Rim speaks during a ceremony marking the company's acquisition of a biopharmaceutical manufacturing plant in Rockville, Md., Tuesday (local time). Courtesy of Samsung Biologics

Samsung Biologics CEO John Rim speaks during a ceremony marking the company’s acquisition of a biopharmaceutical manufacturing plant in Rockville, Md., Tuesday (local time). Courtesy of Samsung Biologics

“This represents a meaningful step in expanding our U.S. manufacturing footprint,” Samsung Biologics CEO John Rim said.

“The addition of the Rockville site strengthens our ability to operate a geographically diversified manufacturing network. … The Rockville team brings deep expertise and strong operational experience that will further strengthen the site as part of our global manufacturing network.”

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Samsung Biologics looks to scale up U.S. manufacturing in Maryland



Samsung Biologics CEO John Rim delivers his keynote speech outlining the company's future roadmap at the 44th J.P. Morgan Health Care Conference held at Westin St. Francis Hotel in San Francisco on Jan. 13. [SAMSUNG BIOLOGICS]

Samsung Biologics CEO John Rim delivers his keynote speech outlining the company’s future roadmap at the 44th J.P. Morgan Health Care Conference held at Westin St. Francis Hotel in San Francisco on Jan. 13. [SAMSUNG BIOLOGICS]

 
SAN FRANCISCO — Samsung Biologics is seeking to strengthen its U.S. footprint by expanding capacity at its recently acquired manufacturing facility in Rockville, Maryland, as it seeks to meet growing customer demand for U.S.-based production amid shifting trade policies.
 
“The GSK facility acquisition is anticipated to close in March this year, giving us regional presentation in the United States,” said CEO John Rim at the 44th J.P. Morgan Health Care Conference on Tuesday. “It will have flexibility to take on additional products beyond the GSK product line.”
 
Samsung Biologics announced in December 2025 that it would acquire the Rockville facility from GlaxoSmithKline for $280 million. The plant has an annual production capacity of 60,000 liters (15,850 gallons).
 
 
“It [the U.S. factory] has always been a higher cost area and everybody knows that, but for us, the U.S. was critical and the reason for that is we’ve lost customers because we didn’t have a U.S. presence,” Rim said, adding that clients wanted supply chain resiliency.
 
While the Rockville facility is modest in scale compared to Samsung Biologics’ five plants in Songdo, Korea — which together have a combined capacity of 785,000 liters — the company said the U.S. site can be expanded by an additional 20,000 to 40,000 liters.
 
“Everybody understands that there’s some pricing flexibility, so we’ll have to work through,” Rim said. “But we do see that having the Rockfield facility will open up new venues of growth for us.”
 
Initially, the plant will continue manufacturing existing GSK products, including Benlysta, a monoclonal antibody treatment for lupus. Over time, the facility is expected to be upgraded to support multiple modalities, particularly antibody production.
 
Samsung Biologics CEO John Rim delivers his keynote speech outlining the company's future roadmap at the 44th J.P. Morgan Health Care Conference held at Westin St. Francis Hotel in San Francisco on Jan. 13. [SAMSUNG BIOLOGICS]

Samsung Biologics CEO John Rim delivers his keynote speech outlining the company’s future roadmap at the 44th J.P. Morgan Health Care Conference held at Westin St. Francis Hotel in San Francisco on Jan. 13. [SAMSUNG BIOLOGICS]

 
“Whether antibody drug conjugate [ADC] capabilities are added in the future will depend on demand,” Rim added at a separate press conference held with the Korean press on Monday.
 
With the facility, the Korean company will have more than 500 employees working at the site, and plans to recruit more U.S talent in the future.
 
The company’s main production site, however, remains rooted in its Songdo campus as U.S. tariffs on biopharmaceutical imports have largely dissolved. While tariffs were previously discussed at levels as high as 250 percent, subsequent bilateral negotiations have capped potential tariffs at 15 percent, significantly reducing trade-related risk.
 
In parallel, Samsung Biologics is continuing to expand domestically. Construction of a sixth plant is expected to begin between 2026 and 2027, and the company has secured land for a third phase of its Songdo manufacturing campus. It plans to invest approximately 7 trillion won ($4.7 billion) through 2034 to build additional production facilities.
 
Looking ahead, Rim said the company’s investment strategy, including mergers and acquisitions, will remain focused on antibody manufacturing.
 
 
The global biopharmaceutical market is projected to grow at a compound annual growth rate of 10 percent, from $565 billion in 2025 to $921 billion in 2030, according to market researcher Evaluate Pharma, driven in particular by monoclonal antibodies, multispecific antibodies, ADCs and fusion proteins.
 
“The antibody market is so large that even single-digit growth translates into meaningful demand,” Rim said. “Other segments may grow faster in percentage terms, but their overall impact is limited by smaller market size.”
 
Samsung Biologics is also closely monitoring developments in GLP-1 therapies — particularly the shift toward oral formulations — as well as opportunities in peptide manufacturing.
 
The company has rebranded its contract manufacturing offering under the name ExcellenS, a move that reflects its emphasis on tailored production and operational efficiency, based on standardized and scalable manufacturing processes.
 
Samsung Biologics is scheduled to report its fourth-quarter and full-year 2025 earnings on Jan. 21. The company recorded a record annual order intake of 6.8 trillion won in 2025, with cumulative orders surpassing $21 billion.
 

BY LEE JAE-LIM [[email protected]]

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Samsung Biologics to establish first U.S. manufacturing base in Maryland


ROCKVILLE, MD—In a major win for Maryland’s life sciences sector, Governor Wes Moore announced this week that South Korea-based Samsung Biologics will open its first United States manufacturing facility in Rockville. The move follows a strategic international trade mission led by the Governor earlier this year to strengthen economic ties with East Asian tech leaders.

Samsung Biologics, the world’s largest contract drug manufacturer, has reached an agreement to acquire a manufacturing campus in Rockville from GSK for $280 million. The facility will serve as a cornerstone for the company’s expansion into the American market, providing a localized hub for the production of critical biologic medicines.

Strengthening the Global Supply Chain

The acquisition secures a site that currently houses two high-standard manufacturing plants with a combined capacity of 60,000 liters. Samsung Biologics plans to not only maintain the current production of existing medicines but also invest in significant technology upgrades and capacity expansions.

By establishing a footprint in Maryland, the company aims to create a more resilient supply chain for life-saving therapeutics, offering clinical and commercial production capabilities on U.S. soil.

Economic Impact and Job Retention

A primary component of the agreement is the preservation of Maryland’s specialized workforce. Samsung Biologics has committed to:

  • Retaining more than 500 existing jobs at the Rockville site.
  • Creating additional high-skilled positions as production capacity grows.
  • Generating new opportunities for local Maryland suppliers.

Governor Moore noted that the deal is a testament to the state’s highly skilled workforce and its status as a premier global bio-cluster. The announcement builds on a record year for Maryland’s biopharmaceutical industry, which recently saw a $2 billion investment from AstraZeneca and the arrival of several other international firms.

Strategic Location in the I-270 Tech Corridor

Montgomery County officials emphasized that Rockville’s proximity to federal institutions like the FDA and the NIH makes it an ideal location for global companies navigating complex regulatory environments. County Executive Marc Elrich described the investment as a robust endorsement of the local ecosystem, which relies on a combination of talent, diversity, and public-private partnerships.

The transition is expected to be finalized following the formal close of the acquisition, with Samsung Biologics integrating the Rockville campus into its global network that already spans five major plants in South Korea.

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