Samsung Biologics' Super Plant 4 in Songdo, Incheon / Courtesy of Samsung Biologics

Samsung Biologics, the country's leading pharmaceutical contract manufacturing organization (CMO), announced Tuesday it has secured its largest-ever deal, valued at over 2 trillion won ($1.4 billion).

The deal was signed with a Europe-based company, although Samsung refrained from disclosing the identity of its counterpart due to confidentiality clauses in the contract.

This deal accounts for 40 percent of the company's total CMO contracts signed last year, which amounted to over 5.4 trillion won. The contract will remain in effect until the end of 2030.

The agreement is the latest in a series of major CMO deals from last year.

In October, Samsung Biologics signed a deal worth over 1.7 trillion won with a company based in Asia. Additionally, it finalized three other deals last year, each valued at more than 1 trillion won, with firms in its key markets: the United States, Europe and Asia.

With its major deals, Samsung Biologics' overall sales in 2024 jumped 1.5 times from the previous year.

The company's rising sales reflect its strong network of clients, with 17 of the world's 20 largest pharmaceutical companies among its partners. Since its establishment in 2011, Samsung Biologics' total CMO deals have exceeded $17.6 billion.

Samsung Biologics is currently expanding its production capacity to prepare for a rise in global demand. Its fifth manufacturing plant, with a capacity of 180,000 liters, is scheduled to begin operations in April. Upon its completion, the company's total capacity will reach 784,000 liters.

The company is currently participating in the J.P. Morgan Healthcare Conference in San Francisco, which runs from Monday to Thursday (local time). The company said it has been promoting its contract development and manufacturing capacity to potential investors and buyers at the event.

Samsung Biologics stressed its global competitiveness, citing a successful batch rate of 99 percent, which ensures high-quality production. As of last December, the company has acquired 340 licenses from global regulators in the pharmaceutical industry, including 41 from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration and 36 from the European Medicines Agency.

"As we are expanding our production capacity and securing more CMO deals, we are also attaining more global licenses," the company said. "And we have passed license certifying tests by global regulators with the highest rate in the world."