Samsung Biologics is accelerating its expansion into Japan's lucrative pharmaceutical market, unveiling its new contract manufacturing organization brand ExcellenS at Bio Japan 2025 while securing partnerships with half of the country's top 10 biopharmaceutical companies.
The Korean contract development and manufacturing organization (CDMO) introduced ExcellenS at Asia's largest biotechnology exhibition in Yokohama, marking a significant milestone in its Japanese market strategy. "ExellenS means a manufacturing framework that embodies Samsung Biologics' will to quickly supply biopharmaceuticals of stable quality to customers through our company's accumulated production technology and process standardization," said Samsung Biologics CEO John Rim.
Strategic Market Penetration
Samsung Biologics has made substantial progress in penetrating Japan's pharmaceutical sector, with CEO Rim confirming that the company has "inked contracts with four of Japan's top 10 biopharmaceutical companies" and is "in the final phase of negotiating a deal with one more of them."
The company's aggressive expansion strategy includes establishing a Tokyo sales office earlier this year and implementing a specialized training program for Japanese market expertise. Samsung Biologics has been "running a program to nurture Japanese specialists by dispatching its employees to learn about the country's specific business culture since last year."
Market Opportunity and Growth Projections
Japan represents the world's third-largest pharmaceutical market, with its CDMO sector projected to experience robust growth. According to Research and Markets, Japan's CDMO market is expected to expand from $12.3 billion in 2023 to $19.5 billion by 2030, representing a compound annual growth rate of 6.8 percent.
This growth trajectory has prompted Samsung Biologics to raise its annual revenue growth forecast from 20-25 percent to 25-30 percent, suggesting that 2025 revenue could reach approximately 6 trillion won ($4.23 billion), up from 4.55 trillion won in 2024.
Manufacturing Excellence and Regulatory Success
Samsung Biologics has demonstrated its commitment to Japanese quality standards by securing 18 manufacturing approvals from the Japanese Pharmaceuticals and Medical Devices Agency, with 12 of these approvals obtained within the last three years. "As Japanese companies consider quality as the most important factor, it's important to secure the track record of numerous approvals," Rim emphasized.
The company's manufacturing capabilities have expanded significantly with the operation of its fifth plant in Songdo, Incheon, which began operations in April 2025. The facility contributes to Samsung Biologics' total annual production capacity of 784,000 liters across all five plants, with the company logging approximately $3.7 billion in orders so far this year.
Portfolio Expansion and Technology Focus
Samsung Biologics is diversifying its service offerings to meet evolving market demands, with particular emphasis on advanced therapeutic modalities. The company is expanding its portfolio to include antibody drug conjugate (ADC), adeno-associated virus (AAV), and organoid technologies, with its ADC-dedicated production site beginning operations in March 2025.
"We are focusing on antibodies and ADC projects while building trust through face-to-face meetings," Rim noted, highlighting the company's strategic approach to building relationships in the Japanese market.
Future Expansion Plans
Looking ahead, Samsung Biologics plans to achieve a production capacity exceeding 1.32 million liters per year by 2032 through the completion of its second bio campus featuring three additional plants. The company is currently reviewing the building plan for its sixth plant for investment approval.
The CDMO giant is also exploring international expansion opportunities, particularly in the United States. "We are actively reviewing expansion of production facilities both at home and abroad," Rim stated. "We are going to proactively considering securing a strategic production site in the United States to lay a foundation for mid- to long-term future growth and bolster our global competitiveness."
However, the company maintains a cautious approach to U.S. expansion due to economic considerations. "Since labor and construction costs in the U.S. are more than 70 percent higher than in Korea, we will make decisions after carefully assessing demand, tariffs, and process efficiency," Rim explained.
