Korean biosimilar firm looks to build on global opportunities secured in San Diego
SAN DIEGO — Celltrion has expanded its global partnering efforts with its artificial intelligence-powered drug discovery capabilities and next-generation biologics pipeline at the BIO International Convention 2026 in San Diego this week, the Korean biosimilar company said Thursday.
This year’s convention, arguably the world’s largest biopharmaceutical and biotechnology showcase, drew approximately 20,000 participants from more than 68 countries, including over 1,600 exhibitors.
Celltrion reported that it held more than 180 business meetings during the four-day convention, marking its highest number of partnering sessions since it began participating in the annual gathering in 2010.
The firm said the meetings covered a broad range of strategic collaboration opportunities spanning Celltrion’s business portfolio, with a particular emphasis on antibody-drug conjugates, or ADCs, multispecific antibodies, and AI-enabled drug development technologies.
Celltrion researchers and business development executives met with global pharmaceutical companies and biotechnology firms to discuss potential co-development projects, technology partnerships, and manufacturing collaborations aimed at strengthening Celltrion’s long-term growth pipeline.
As for the growing interest in AI technology, Celltrion showcased several self-developed technologies, including AI-powered target discovery, multispecific antibody design, in silico developability assessment, and the Healthcare Intelligence Bank, a data-driven research platform designed to accelerate early-stage drug development.
The company said the discussions also covered manufacturing materials and technologies to explore potential partnerships to improve production efficiency and technological competitiveness. Celltrion plans to continue negotiations with selected partners after the convention’s finale on Thursday.
On top of the record-setting number of business meetings, Celltrion saw more than 2,000 visitors to its exhibition booth over the four-day period, another record for the firm at the global event. According to Celltrion, visitors showed strong interest in its AI-driven research strategy and future growth roadmap, reflecting a shift in market attention beyond the company’s established biosimilar business.
“This year’s BIO USA clearly demonstrated the growing recognition of Celltrion on the global stage,” a Celltrion official said. “The record number of business meetings and booth visitors shows heightened interest not only in our biosimilar business but also in our next-generation growth engines, including ADCs, multispecific antibodies, and AI-based drug development.”
The official added that the firm will further advance the partnership opportunities discovered during the convention while turning strong investor and industry interest into tangible business outcomes.
hwkan@heraldcorp.com