Samsung Biologics, GreenLight Biosciences, and Environmental Impact Acquisition Corp to Build mRNA Vaccine Manufacturing Capacity

Samsung Biologics; GreenLight Biosciences, a biotechnology company specializing in RNA products; and Environmental Impact Acquisition Corp, a special purpose acquisition company, have formed a collaboration under which Samsung Biologics will manufacture GreenLight’s messenger RNA (mRNA) COVID-19 vaccine candidate at commercial scale.

Under the agreement, the partnership will aim to accelerate production of GreenLight’s COVID-19 vaccine candidate for Phase III clinical trials and commercial sales, pending regulatory approval. Samsung will leverage GreenLight’s existing manufacturing process. Technology transfer from GreenLight to Samsung will start immediately, the companies stated in a Nov. 24, 2021 press release.

“We are delighted to partner with Samsung to manufacture [mRNA] for our [COVID] vaccine trial. There is an urgent need to develop vaccines for the whole world,” said GreenLight CEO Andrey Zarur, in the press release. “Our vaccine trial will open the way to make vaccines that are available to everybody, not just citizens of developed countries.”

“We are delighted to partner with GreenLight to leverage our expertise in manufacturing a [mRNA] COVID-19 vaccine candidate to better serve patients in lower income countries,” said John Rim, CEO of Samsung Biologics, in the press release. “This collaboration demonstrates a major milestone for Samsung Biologics as we will commence our expanded capabilities and operations to provide one-stop end-to-end messenger RNA production from [drug substance] (DS) to [aseptic fill finish] (DP) to commercial release, all from a single site. At this time of urgent global demand, we will strive for seamless service across our biomanufacturing network to fight the COVID pandemic and in turn, help make progress towards Korea's vaccine hub goal.”

Source: Samsung Biologics