South Korea-based GI Innovation has inked a biopharmaceutical manufacturing and development based Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Merck.

This is the first time that Merck, which has maintained a cooperative relationship with CDMO (biopharmaceutical contract manufacturing and development) companies such as Samsung Biologics and Binex, is collaborating with a domestic biotech company to support the manufacturing and development of a new biopharmaceutical.

Through this cooperation, the two companies plan to promote synergy in the development of biopharmaceuticals through the use of Merck's CHOZN expression system (CHOZN® Platform), medium supply , and educational consulting for researchers .

GI Innovation expects to accelerate the development of high-expression cell lines that produce large-sized, multi-targeted pharmaceutical proteins that were difficult to manufacture through the close combination of its GI-SMART ^TM platform technology and the CHOZN expression system. 

In addition, it is expected to save time and money through the smooth supply of various subsidiary materials and to increase the productivity of biopharmaceutical development.

Image caption- (From left) GI Innovation Managing Director Young- min Oh, Vice President Cho Young-gyu, CEO Hong Jun-ho, Merck Life Sciences General Manager Kim Yong-seok, Team Leader Hong Yu-shin, Ahn Se-hoon AM