LOTTE BIOLOGICS and SK pharmteco Sign Strategic Partnership to Strengthen Global ADC CDMO Capabilities

■ Two global CDMO leaders have joined forces to strengthen their presence in the rapidly growing antibody-drug conjugate (ADC) market.

■ The collaboration will deliver integrated, one-stop CDMO services spanning antibody drug substance, linker–payload production, and bioconjugation, supported by joint marketing based on deep ADC expertise.

<Fig1.> Leaders from SK pharmteco and LOTTE BIOLOGICS at the LOTTE BIOLOGICS booth at CPHI Frankfurt, Germany, 

following the signing of the strategic collaboration Letter of Intent on October 29, 2025. 

From left to right: Joon Chang, CBO, LOTTE BIOLOGICS; Jiwon Chun, CGO, LOTTE BIOLOGICS; Kern Chang, CTO, LOTTE BIOLOGICS; Yooyeol Shin, CSO, LOTTE BIOLOGICS; James Park, CEO, LOTTE BIOLOGICS; Joerg Ahlgrimm, CEO, SK pharmteco; Andy Fenny, CCO, SK pharmteco; Olivia Boyce, Global Head of Proposals, SK pharmteco; Shiuk Lee, CSO, SK pharmteco;

Steve Barr, Head of Small Molecule, SK pharmteco.

LOTTE BIOLOGICS (CEO James Park) and SK pharmteco (CEO Joerg Ahlgrimm) announced that they have signed a Letter of Intent (LOI) for a strategic collaboration to strengthen their competitiveness in the global antibody-drug conjugate (ADC) market.

Through this collaboration, the two companies will jointly investigate providing integrated, one-stop CDMO services to global clients, offering differentiated ADC solutions that span from development to commercial manufacturing.

LOTTE BIOLOGICS will utilize its cGMP manufacturing capabilities and global quality competitiveness at its Syracuse Bio Campus in the U.S. to deliver high-quality bioconjugation and drug substance manufacturing services. 

Meanwhile, SK pharmteco will be responsible for linker–payload development and manufacturing within the chemical-synthesis portion of the process, complementing LOTTE BIOLOGICS’ bioconjugation and drug-substance manufacturing.

By combining technical expertise and global networks, the companies aim to create a fully integrated CDMO platform that minimizes development-to-manufacturing gaps, offers customized solutions for clients, and strengthens competitiveness in the rapidly expanding ADC sector. 

They also plan to jointly pursue global marketing and client engagement to expand their customer base across key markets.

The partnership also aligns with the ongoing global trend toward supply chain reshoring, as each company possess advanced manufacturing infrastructures in both the U.S. and Europe. 

James Park, CEO of LOTTE BIOLOGICS, stated, “This collaboration marks a meaningful milestone, as two leading Korean biopharma join forces on the global stage. By combining our strengths in advanced modalities such as ADCs, we will reinforce Korea’s biopharmaceutical leadership and accelerate our growth in the global market.”

Joerg Ahlgrimm, CEO of SK pharmteco, added, “This strategic partnership will supercharge the development of next-generation therapeutics, positioning both companies to deliver significantly greater value and accelerate the delivery of innovative new medicines to patients around the world.”