Samsung Biologics has announced it has expanded its strategic alliance with MSD, or Merck as it is known in the US and Canada, with the signing of a memorandum of understanding. The relationship has come into force to streamline process development and clinical material production for small biotech start-ups focusing on novel drugs.

To this end, the agreement will provide Samsung Biologics with access to MSD’s Mobius single-use technology, a platform which delivers “outstanding flexibility and continuity for scale-up, reducing the need for retraining operators.” Alongside this, MSD will also provide process development and support technical training.

The two parties have enjoyed a close working relationship in the past, with MSD providing training for Samsung Biologics’ staff at its Korean facilities in building robust biologics development process. This latest partnership is an extension of a previous memorandum of understanding signed in 2014 as part of a long-term raw materials supply agreement for biopharmaceutical manufacturing.

"Our purpose is to solve the toughest problems in the industry by collaborating with the global scientific community," said Udit Batra, a member of the Merck executive board and CEO at its life sciences unit. "Our alliance with Samsung BioLogics is the ideal collaboration to advance the development of potentially life-saving medicines."