SK bioscience Acquires IDT Biologika to Expand Global CDMO Business

South Korean vaccine developer, SK bioscience, has completed the acquisition of German CDMO IDT Biologika as the company looks to double its sales by 2028 by investing in high-growth businesses that include late-stage cell and gene therapy (CGT) and recombinant vaccines.

As part of the ambition, the company is expected to launch next-generation pneumococcal vaccines, maximize the utilization rate of IDT Biologika’s drug substance and drug product manufacturing facilities, and add additional cell line manufacturing and recombinant vaccine development technologies to pursue new CDMO contracts for mid- to large-scale products.

SK bioscience, a global innovative vaccine and biotech company committed to promoting human health from prevention to cure, today announced the successful completion of its acquisition of a controlling stake in a German company, IDT Biologika, one of the top 10 global vaccine contract development manufacturing organizations (CDMO).

In June 2024, SK bioscience has signed an agreement with Klocke Group, a German biopharmaceutical group, to acquire a controlling stake in IDT Biologika, Klocke Group’s affiliate.

As part of this transaction, Klocke Group will retain a 40% stake in IDT Biologika while investing approximately KRW 76 billion to acquire a 1.9% stake in SK bioscience. This cross-shareholding agreement is designed to strengthen their partnership, which is built on mutual trust in each company´s operational capabilities and growth potential.

With the acquisition complete, SK bioscience is set to focus on promoting the organic and systematic integration of both companies to enhance management efficiency and drive business expansion. The company plans to double IDT Biologika´s annual sales by 2028 and improve its EBITDA (earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation, and amortization), targeting up to 25% of its sales.

Leveraging the benefits of the IDT Biologika acquisition, SK bioscience also aims to achieve KRW 1 trillion (appx. USD 757.6 million) in consolidated sales within the next five years. The company´s growth is expected to accelerate with the launch of next-generation pneumococcal vaccines, fueling its further expansion beyond 2028, and to see the significant improvements in its financial performance.

The company will first seek to maximize the utilization rate of IDT Biologika´s manufacturing facilities. In particular, the company plans to increasingly utilize some of IDT Biologika´s DS (drug substance) and DP (drug product) high-performance production lines, such as the large-dose vial line, for potential major projects with global pharmaceutical companies.

In addition, the company will optimize the lyophilized vial line to extend the existing contracts and win contracts for promising clinical pipelines and late-stage cell and gene therapy (CGT) projects. With additional cell line manufacturing and recombinant vaccine development technology, the company plans to pursue new CDMO contracts for mid- to large-scale products.

SK bioscience will also invest in high-growth businesses such as the pre-filled syringes (PFS), recombinant vaccine, and CGT, which includes oncolytic viruses (OV), adeno-associated viruses (AAV), and lentiviruses (LV). Additionally, the company will transfer its technology and production to IDT Biologika for key products such as flu, shingles, chickenpox, and typhoid vaccines.

Moving forward, SK bioscience undertakes key initiatives to improve IDT Biologika’s short-term operational efficiency and profitability, including enhancing batch operational efficiency and raw material management, streamlining the supply chain, and improving quality management and operational management.

SK bioscience believes that, given IDT Biologika’s proven track record of technology and expertized talents, business expansion and operational improvements will proceed swiftly.

IDT Biologika has maintained long-standing CDMO partnerships with over 15 of the world’s major biotech and pharmaceutical companies, as well as research institutions. In addition to manufacturing vaccines for viral diseases such as COVID-19, the company has experience in contract manufacturing of various biopharmaceuticals. Takeda is one such company that IDT has partnered with many years for its dengue vaccine.

Moreover, IDT Biologika has also the capability to expand into the CGT business especially as the producer of one of the few worldwide FDA and EMA-approved oncolytic viral therapies of a global player. The CGT business is one of the future growth engines of SK bioscience.

To ensure rapid management stabilization and synergies, key executives from both companies including Carsten Klocke, CEO of the Klocke Group, and Jaeyong Ahn, President and CEO of SK bioscience, will serve on IDT Biologika’s Advisory Board. The advisory board will ensure IDT Biologika’s independent management while carrying out cultural integration.

Dr. Sally Choe, Head of Development HQ of SK bioscience, has been named as co-CEO of IDT Biologika along with Dr. Ulrich Valley. Dr. Choe, who holds a Master and Ph.D. in Pharmaceutics from the University of Michigan, has worked for global pharmaceutical companies such as Pfizer-Bristol-Myers Squibb (BMS) and Parexel Regulatory Consulting firm. She has 12 years of tenure at the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), where she served as a Deputy Director in the Office of Translational Sciences (OTS) and as Super Office Director of the Office of Generic Drugs (OGD).

Dr. Ulrich Valley, Co-CEO of IDT Biologika, said, “I am convinced that this milestone will contribute to future growth and to our vision of a leading CDMO. This global strategic cooperation is an important driver for our innovative strength, competitiveness and sustainable success, built on a foundation of trust and common goals. I am certain that we, SK bioscience and IDT Biologika, can achieve great things together by combining our competences and capabilities.”

Jaeyong Ahn, President and CEO of SK bioscience, said, “With the successful completion of IDT Biologika acquisition, we are rapidly stabilizing management as SK bioscience and IDT Biologika now unite one family. The capabilities of the two companies are expected to generate significant synergies, and we will accelerate our global expansion.”

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