Strong materials, components, and equipment companies are needed for the bioindustry to grow 

"We will be a knowledge center where leaders gather to discuss the direction of the bio industry"

As the supply of raw materials or pharmaceutical ingredients is becoming difficult due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the importance of small and medium-sized enterprises (materials, parts, and equipment) is growing for the stable growth of the domestic bio industry.

The Korea Biotechnology Association will hold 'Bioplus-Interpex Korea 2021' online and offline at COEX in Seoul from September 2 to 31.

The proportion of imported raw materials in the domestic bio industry is more than 90%. Filters, disposable bags, resins, etc. are commonly used in vaccines and biopharmaceuticals, while 'medium' is used as a nutrient for cell culture and 'resin' is an essential raw material for purifying proteins and antibodies from cultured cells.

Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the demand for raw materials from bio companies around the world has skyrocketed, and as a result, domestic bio companies are facing frequent problems in importing raw materials. Therefore, companies that produce their own raw materials and small parts are being emphasized to maintain the domestic bio industry.

In particular, AMICOGEN, CellSafe, Xcell Therapeutics, BiOCS, and VETTER, which are biopharmaceutical manufacturing and production companies, are planning to be introduced at the Bio Fair.

Amicogen's mission statement is a combination of AMICO (=Latin for "friend") and GEN (=Gene, "gene"), reflecting Amicogen's commitment to grow together as a "true friend" for the sustainable development of humanity and the protection of the global environment based on its core source technology, gene evolution.

Amicogen has developed special enzymes for industrial and pharmaceutical applications based on its proprietary gene evolution technology (i DNA evolution™), and aims to contribute to the sustainable growth and lifelong health of mankind by developing bio-new materials and protein purification resins that are raw materials for health functional foods using special enzymes.

CellSafe is a bio-venture company founded in 2009 that has Mycoplasma Total Solution, which can effectively detect, eliminate and prevent mycoplasmas that affect cell culture.

The company also developed the first mycoplasma qPCR detection kit and mycoplasma elimination kit in Asia and exports its products to many countries around the world, including the United States and Japan, and has established a GMP-grade manufacturing plant to produce all products according to the highest quality system.

Xcell Therapeutics has been manufacturing and exporting virus transport media to respond to the increasing demand for virus transport media after COVID-19, starting with research and development to secure serum-free chemical composition technology to ensure the safety of media, which is a key material for cell culture.

Its main product is CellCor CD MSC, a dedicated medium for mesenchymal stem cell culture, and it is preparing to launch products for skin keratinocyte and breast papilla cell proliferation in the second half of the year.

Vioxx is the first company in Korea to develop detergents used in the cleaning process to prevent contamination in the biopharmaceutical field and aims to localize process materials in line with the needs of the pharmaceutical and biopharmaceutical markets.

Vioxx provides solutions for micro-process cleaning in pharmaceutical and biopharmaceutical applications based on 'Biclean Cleaner' designed with various cleaning mechanisms, and Pharma-sulation manufactures melamine resin-based insulation materials specialized for pharmaceutical clean rooms and factories.

Finally, VepherPharma is an international manufacturer of sterile syringe systems, cartridges and vials and a CDMO that works from the earliest stages of the clinical development and regulatory approval process through to product launch and commercialization.

"This year's BioPlus Interpex Korea 2021 event was prepared to bring together all companies in the bio life cycle ecosystem to view the bio value chain in one place," said an official from the Bio Association, which organized BioPlus Interpex. "We aimed to provide a place of knowledge where industry leaders gathered to raise topics and explore the direction of the bio industry as a major industry."

Source : The Korea Medical Daily (http://www.bosa.co.kr)