South Korea’s Boryung Corporation continues to boost its production footprint by kicking off a project that will double the capacity of its penicillin manufacturing facility in its home country.
The project will expand Boryung’s oral penicillin antibiotic production line at its campus in Ansan, South Korea, from 2,777 square meters (nearly 29,000 square feet) to 4,364 square meters (nearly 47,000 square feet) when completed. The cost of the expansion wasn’t disclosed.
The expansion works to fulfill a government directive that designated oral penicillin as an essential drug in the wake of supply chain problems that occurred during and after the COVID-19 pandemic. Historically, Boryung has accounted for more than 60% of domestic contract manufacturing of penicillin, the company said in a Nov. 12 press release.
“This expansion represents a meaningful step forward in elevating the production quality and supply capacity of penicillin antibiotics, a national essential treatment,” Jay Kim, Boryung chair and chief executive, said in a statement. “Boryung will continue to strengthen the stability of the essential treatment supply chain and fulfill its responsibility as a company dedicated to protecting public health.”
The expansion will introduce new systems and equipment, including automated packaging systems and other process innovation technologies. Boryung first revealed plans to expand the penicillin plant two months ago.
In September, Boryung struck a deal with Sanofi worth up to $205 million to gain rights to produce and sell the French pharma's chemotherapy Taxotere (docetaxel) for nearly 20 markets.
Taxotere, which was first approved in the 1990s, is designated by the World Health Organization as an essential medicine for the treatment of early-stage and metastatic breast cancer as well as metastatic prostate cancer.
Taxotere hauled in about $82 million for Sanofi last year, down significantly from the peak of $3 billion annually before its U.S. patent expired in 2010.