Korea's ST Pharm completes new R&D hub for gene therapy

ST Pharm Co., a South Korean drug raw material-producing subsidiary of Dong-A Socio Holdings, said on Friday that it has finished building an R&D Innovation Center in Ansan City, Gyeonggi Province.

The 12-story center, which spans 5,166 square meters and cost 18 billion won ($14 million) to construct, opened on Feb. 3 after starting work in January last year.

The company said the center will house synthetic and oligo research institutes, which were previously located in Siwha and Banwol, both in Gyeonggi Province. This will allow better collaboration and research among its scientists.

The center will also host a quality control department to offer faster contract development and manufacturing (CDMO) services for oligonucleotide therapeutics.

A company official said the center will help the company enlist top researchers and boost its CDMO services, its main business area. He also said the center will serve as a key base for developing new drugs and creating new platforms for gene therapy.

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