GC Biopharma's Ochang facility gets WHO PQ certification

GC Biopharma Co.'s production facility in Ochang (North Chungcheong Province) secured a pre-qualification (PQ) certification from the World Health Organization (WHO).

According to the company formerly known as GC Green Cross on Thursday, the 'integrated finished product facility' in Ochang has been certified by the WHO. For this certification, the company received intensive due diligence from the WHO at the Good Manufacturing Practice (GMP) level.

Through successful certification, GC Biopharma has established a global-level production base capable of producing drugs to be supplied to international organizations, from the vaccine plant in Hwasun, South Jeolla Province, to the integrated finished product facility.

Its integrated facility, completed in 2019, is South Korea's largest finished product manufacturing facility. While establishing the nation's largest filling and packaging plant in Korea, it introduced an aseptic filling facility.

At the same time, it is equipped with state-of-the-art facilities that automate the entire process from warehousing of raw materials to production and shipment. The annual production capacity of this plant is 300 million doses per year based on finished drugs.

"The latest certification is meaningful not only for a more stable supply of flu vaccines to international organizations but also for proving the feasibility of consignment production through global-level certification," said a company official.

GC Biopharma is the largest supplier of seasonal flu vaccines to the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO) and the United Nations International Children's Emergency Fund (UNICEF) under the auspices of the WHO.

"Based on the know-how of producing and supplying vaccines for half a century and high-quality manufacturing capabilities, we will contribute to the promotion of public health across the world," said Huh Eun-chul, CEO of GC Biopharma.

Write to Ji-Hyun Lee at bluesky@hankyung.com