SEOUL (Reuters) – Samsung BioLogics Co Ltd is in talks with Pfizer Inc to begin production of the U.S. drugmaker’s COVID-19 vaccine in South Korea as early as in August, a South Korean newspaper reported on Wednesday.
The biotech arm of Samsung Group has been revamping production lines at its plant in Songdo to produce the Pfizer vaccine, which was jointly developed by BioNTech, the Korea Economic Daily said.
The plant can make up to 1 billion doses per year, the report said, quoting an unnamed high-level government official.
Samsung BioLogics and Pfizer were not immediately available for comment. The Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency (KDCA) in charge of COVID-19 vaccine procurement was also not immediately available for comment.
South Korea has a contract with Pfizer to purchase 66 million doses of its COVID-19 vaccine. It also has contracts to acquire a total of 192 million doses from other developers including Moderna Inc, AstraZeneca Plc, Johnson & Johnson’s and Novavax.
(Reporting by Sangmi Cha; editing by Jane Wardell)
