CHA Medical & Bio Group Breaks Ground

CHA Medical & Bio Group started construction of its Cell Gene Biobank (CGB) facility in Pangyo, South Korea. Investing over $250 million in the project, the new 710,000 square foot site will comprise one of the world’s largest single facilities for cell and gene therapy manufacturing and advanced stem cell biobanking. The construction of the state-of-art facility is expected to be completed by the end of 2024.

Within the facility, the space dedicated for cell and gene therapy will offer integrated contract development and manufacturing organization (CDMO) services for mRNA, viral vectors and plasmid DNA, providing GMP production with multiple segregated cleanrooms to deliver greater manufacturing efficiency. The stem cell biobank will be designed to store various cell types including stem cells, NK cells, cord blood, sperm cells and egg cells.

At its new CGB facility, CHA Medical & Bio Group will integrate its proprietary cell separation, cell culture and cryopreservation technologies with its wide range of services to provide more optimized and customized approaches to cell and gene therapy development.

“Cell and gene therapy development and production requires extensive expertise and highly specialized equipment when compared to other biologics with more established manufacturing processes, such as antibodies,” said Dr. Kwang Yul Cha, the global research and innovation leader at CHA Medical & Bio Group. “We believe that this CGB will function as the leading cell and gene therapy manufacturing hub of Asia, incorporating CHA Biotech’s long history and in-depth knowledge of cell therapy R&D and manufacturing process technology.”

Upon its completion, CGB will act as a key growth engine of CHA Medical & Bio Group’s CDMO business. Together with Matica Biotechnology, the company’s affiliate cell and gene therapy CDMO in the US, CHA Medical & Bio Group aims to establish a differentiated strategy for building a strong, global CDMO network.