“Samsung Biologics will strategically collaborate with Samsung Medical Center to provide more differentiated organoid clinical trial services.”
Lee Sang-myung, head of the business strategy team at Samsung Biologics, noted during a press conference held near the venue of the '2025 Bio International Convention' (BioUSA) in Boston on the 17th (local time) that the company will unveil key strategies for the newly introduced 'Samsung Organoid.'
An organoid, meaning an organ-like structure, is often referred to as a mini-organ, as it is cultivated from stem cells that can grow into all human cells in a three-dimensional structure resembling that of an organ. Samsung Biologics has launched the Samsung Organoid, a drug screening service that can replace animal testing with organoids.
Although drugs have been tested on human cells grown in petri dishes before, organoids with three-dimensional structures like that of organs better reflect the actual human condition. The decision by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to gradually abolish animal testing in preclinical trials also boosted the value of organoids. In April, the FDA recognized organoids as an alternative technology to animal testing.
Samsung Biologics plans to initially assist in discovering anticancer drug candidates using cancer organoids. This involves injecting drug candidates into the organoids created from cultured cancer patient cells to evaluate their efficacy.
This executive introduced, “Samsung Organoid can confirm the efficacy of drugs targeting the desired cancer type within about five weeks and provide data. Cell culture takes about four weeks, drug treatment takes about one week, and data analysis can be completed in just one day.”
The company plans to secure competitiveness by not only providing simple drug screening test results but also related pathological and genetic information. This executive mentioned, “The difference of 'Samsung Organoid' will set it apart from other organoid clinical trial organizations (CROs),” and added, “To achieve this, we have collaborated with Samsung Medical Center within the Samsung Group.”
Samsung Medical Center holds the largest domestic database of cancer patients, with 4.5 million cases as of 2024. A systematic data accumulation and analysis system has also been established. It has been recognized internationally for its authority, ranking 3rd globally and 1st in Asia in the '2025 World's Best Cancer Hospitals' list published by the U.S. weekly Newsweek.
Samsung Biologics entered the bio market in 2011 as a contract manufacturing organization (CMO) and expanded its business areas to include contract development organization (CDO) in 2018 and recently clinical trial organization (CRO).
This executive remarked, “With the launch of this organoid service, we plan to evolve into a corporation that provides contract research and development manufacturing (CRDMO) services,” adding, “Through this, we expect to achieve a lock-in effect by collaborating with clients from the candidate substance discovery stage for new drug development.”