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 The Chosun Ilbo reported that the biotech arm of Samsung Group has
agreed to produce the Moderna vaccine in its plant in Songdo, part
of which will be used for domestic vaccination, citing unnamed
government and pharmaceutical industry sources.
Samsung BioLogics said in a short filing to the stock exchange that
no decision has been finalised. The company will provide an update
within a month as required by regulations, a company official said.
Moderna did not immediately reply to a Reuters' request for comment.
Shares in Samsung BioLogics jumped as much as 8.7% on Friday to a
record high of 941,000 won ($833.18) following the report,
outperforming a 0.9% rise in the broader market KOSPI's.
The statement follows a denial by Samsung and Pfizer Inc earlier
this week of another media report that the two companies were
working together to produce a COVID-19 vaccine developed by the U.S.
firm and its German partner BioNTech.
The Moderna shot has yet to be approved in South Korea, but the
second of three expert panels recommended approval for emergency use
of the vaccine on Thursday, based on its safety and efficacy in
Phase 3 late-stage trials in the United States.
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 If agreed, the deal could
become Moderna's first production of its
COVID-19 vaccine in Asia where many countries
are battling a surge in infections and limited
access to vaccines, raising concerns about
deepening inequity in distribution.
Australia said on Thursday it is in talks with Moderna to establish
domestic production of messenger RNA vaccines.
Samsung BioLogics, which produces a COVID-19 antibody treatment
developed by Eli Lilly and Co, began construction of a fourth plant
in South Korea late last year.
The plant will be the world's biggest biopharmaceutical
manufacturing facility with 256,000 litres of production capacity
and will begin operation by the end of 2022, Samsung said at the
time.
($1=1,129.4100 won)
(Reporting by Sangmi Cha; Additional reporting by Heekyong Yang;
Editing by Miyoung Kim, Leslie Adler & Simon Cameron-Moore)
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