Celltrion secures 1 trillion won in global CMO deals

Mar 17, 2026, 03:21 pm

Celltrion’s global contract manufacturing organization (CMO) order backlog has exceeded 1 trillion won ($750 million), just six months after signing a deal to acquire a production facility in Branchburg, New Jersey.

The rapid increase in large-scale contracts highlights the company’s CMO business as a key new growth driver. However, as a significant portion of its current production capacity is already allocated to in-house products, expanding manufacturing facilities is expected to become a critical task.

According to the Financial Supervisory Service on March 17, Celltrion signed a contract worth approximately 294.9 billion won with a global pharmaceutical company on March 16 to supply biopharmaceutical drug substances. The partner was not disclosed due to confidentiality agreements.

Under the deal, Celltrion will supply active pharmaceutical ingredients (APIs) from 2027 to 2029, with the contract value potentially increasing to 375.4 billion won depending on future negotiations.

The company has rapidly expanded its CMO business since formally launching it last year. Earlier this year, Celltrion signed a contract worth about 678.7 billion won with Eli Lilly. Combined with the latest agreement, its cumulative order backlog surpassed 1 trillion won within the first quarter alone.

CEO Seo Jin-seok previously announced at the JPMorgan Healthcare Conference in January that the company would foster CMO operations as a new growth pillar alongside new drug development. The strategy is now yielding tangible results, with the CMO segment steadily increasing its share of the company’s business.

Celltrion’s U.S. manufacturing facility, acquired in September last year for about 460 billion won, has played a crucial role in supporting this expansion. Located in Branchburg, New Jersey, the plant has a production capacity of 66,000 liters. Including its Songdo facilities, Celltrion’s total production capacity has reached 316,000 liters.

The Branchburg facility completed inspections by the end of January and began manufacturing products for Eli Lilly in February.

In addition to expanding production capacity, Celltrion is differentiating itself by offering high-value CMO services that enhance clients’ product competitiveness. One example is its formulation-change service, which applies subcutaneous (SC) conversion technology used in its own products to external clients.

The company is also strengthening global sales and project management capabilities through its subsidiary, Celltrion BioSolutions, to further systematize its operations.

Despite the rapid growth in orders, the need to expand production facilities is becoming increasingly urgent. With rising global demand for CMO partnerships and growing sales of its own products, Celltrion faces mounting pressure to secure additional manufacturing capacity.

The company is currently reviewing plans to expand both domestic and overseas production facilities, taking into account market conditions.

A Celltrion official said, “This large-scale CMO contract reflects strong recognition from global clients of our high-quality production standards and stable supply system. We will actively pursue additional capacity expansion to meet growing demand for both in-house production and CDMO services.”

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