Samsung Biologics to buy US drug production facility from GSK for $280 million

SEOUL – South Korea’s Samsung Biologics said on Monday it will acquire its first U.S.-based drug manufacturing facility from GSK for $280 million as it moves to meet long-term demand in the U.S. market.

The company said its U.S. unit, Samsung Biologics America, will acquire a 100% stake in Human Genome Sciences Inc., located in Rockville, Maryland. The acquisition marks a major step for the South Korean contract drug manufacturer as it expands its global production footprint.

Samsung Biologics plans to make additional investments to expand the facility’s production capacity and upgrade its technology. The site currently has a combined drug substance capacity of 60,000 liters, the company said.

The final acquisition price may change when the transaction closes, which is expected around the end of the first quarter of 2026.

The move comes as other South Korean drugmakers also look to boost production in the United States. Celltrion has announced plans to manufacture drugs in the country amid concerns over potential pharmaceutical tariffs threatened by the Trump administration.

Under a trade agreement with the United States, tariffs on U.S. imports of South Korean pharmaceuticals will not exceed 15%, while generic drugs will remain tariff-free.

Shares of Samsung Biologics fell 0.4% on Monday, underperforming the broader market, which rose about 2%. -Reporting by Joyce Lee and Hyunjoo Jin; Editing by Diane Craft and Edmund Klamann/Reuters