Samsung, Dinona team up to develop COVID-19 antibody therapies

Samsung Biologics has inked a partnership with Dinona in the quest to develop useful coronavirus antibody therapeutics and treatments. 

Incheon, South Korea-based Samsung Biologics, Samsung's biotech arm, said on Tuesday that the agreement will see both companies collaborate on the "fast-track development" of DNP-019, an agent currently being explored for COVID-19 treatments. 

Samsung's biological unit has expanded its Contract Development Organization (CDO) business quickly, with close to 60 contracts inked within the last two years. Under the Dinona CDO contract, Samsung will assist with cell line development, pharmaceutical process creation, and both clinical and non-clinical manufacturing and supply. 

"As with all our partnerships, we will closely collaborate with our client Dinona to provide the highest client satisfaction and support in its endeavor to bring a potential COVID-19 treatment to market faster and better," commented Tae Han Kim, CEO of Samsung Biologics. 

The news builds upon another partnership, announced in September, between Samsung Biologics and AstraZeneca, a biopharmaceutical organization currently working on a potential COVID-19 vaccine. 

The agreement, valued at $330.8 million, requires Samsung to provide commercial manufacturing resources at existing facilities, potentially ramping up production quickly should a vaccine be approved and distributed. If so, this long-term supply agreement may be worth up to $545 million. 

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