Samsung Biologics becomes first Korean drugmaker to join 2 trillion won income club

Samsung Biologics' Plant 4 in Songdo, Incheon/ Courtesy of Samsung Biologics

SEOUL, January 21 (AJP) - Samsung Biologics on Wednesday posted record annual operating profit for 2025, becoming the first pharmaceutical and biotechnology company in South Korea to surpass the 2 trillion won threshold.

The contract drug manufacturing giant posted an operating profit of 2.07 trillion won ($1.4 billion) for 2025, soaring 56.6 percent from a year earlier, according to a regulatory filing released Wednesday. Revenue climbed 30.3 percent to 4.55 trillion won, while net profit jumped 55.2 percent to 1.61 trillion won.

Fourth-quarter operating profit reached 528.3 billion won, up 67.8 percent year-on-year, driven by full-capacity operations across all four manufacturing plants in Incheon. Quarterly revenue stood at 1.29 trillion won.

The company attributed its robust performance to the ramp-up of Plant 4 operations, stable utilization of Plants 1 through 3, and favorable foreign exchange effects. Samsung Biologics has served over 110 clients, including 17 of the world's top 20 pharmaceutical companies.

"2025 has been a year of steady progress for Samsung Biologics as we expanded collaboration with both pharma and biotech companies, supported by our focus on operational and quality excellence," said John Rim, CEO of Samsung Biologics.

The Incheon-based firm made strategic moves throughout 2025 to bolster its global footprint, including acquiring a manufacturing facility in Rockville, Maryland, securing land for a third bio campus, and completing the construction of Plant 5. Cumulative contract value has exceeded $21.2 billion since its founding in 2011.

Samsung Biologics forecast revenue growth of 15 to 20 percent for 2026, excluding contributions from the Rockville facility acquisition, which remains pending regulatory approval.

The company maintained a solid financial position with total assets of 11.06 trillion won and a debt-to-equity ratio of 48.4 percent at year-end. It achieved the 2 trillion won operating profit milestone just two years after becoming the first Korean drugmaker to post annual operating profit exceeding 1 trillion won in 2023.

Shares of Samsung Biologics closed Wednesday 1.35 percent lower at 1,894,000 won per stock. The regulatory filing came after market closure.
Kim Dong-young Business Reporter davekim0807@ajupress.com

- Copyright ⓒ [아주경제 ajunews.com] 무단전재 배포금지 -