Pharmaceutical Industry Accelerates Expansion into the US Market: Japanese Firms Get Ahead While Korean Firms Face Production Challenges
In response to the threat of US tariffs, global pharmaceutical companies are hastening their entry into the US market. Japanese firm Fujifilm announced on the 22nd of this month that it has signed a $3 billion contract with Regeneron, setting a new record for contract manufacturing in the industry. Fujifilm plans to produce at its new large-scale biopharmaceutical facility established in North Carolina and aims to achieve sales of 700 billion yen by 2030.
In contrast, South Korea's major biopharmaceutical companies, Samsung Biologics and Celltrion, face production location shortages as they lack facilities in the US. Even if they start construction now, it will take at least four years to ramp up production, and they could be severely impacted if the US imposes tariffs on pharmaceuticals. Industry insiders express concern that the inability to complete a facility within the Trump administration could put South Korean firms at a significant disadvantage.
