CEPI and Samsung Biologics collaborate to strengthen outbreak-ready vaccine production and global access

OSLO, Norway and INCHEON, South Korea, Feb. 3, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- The Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations (CEPI) and Samsung Biologics (KRX: 207940.KS), a leading contract development and manufacturing organization (CDMO), today announced a partnership to strengthen vaccine manufacturing preparedness for future epidemic and pandemic threats. The collaboration will see Samsung Biologics join CEPI's Vaccine Manufacturing Facility Network (VMFN) with the aim of accelerating the availability of protein-based vaccines and advancing equitable access to those vaccines during future outbreaks in Low- and Middle-Income Countries (LMICs).

Supported by an initial budget of up to US$20 million, CEPI will work with Samsung Biologics to establish a scalable, rapid manufacturing process for recombinant-protein vaccines. This will include leveraging Samsung Biologics' well-established mammalian cell-based infrastructure — a flexible system that plays a key role in manufacturing protein-based products efficiently and at a very large scale — and its mature quality and regulatory systems. The aim is to pre-position a ready-to-activate process that can be deployed quickly when a new viral threat emerges, giving protein-based vaccines a rapid response capability in future.

Under the agreement, Samsung Biologics will also conduct a simulated outbreak response exercise using a wild-type H5 influenza as a prototype pathogen recommended by the WHO. The exercise is designed to demonstrate the speed and robustness of Samsung Biologics' end-to-end capabilities, from antigen development through to vaccine drug product manufacture to supply. This simulation will provide insights into how quickly recombinant-protein vaccines can be manufactured at scale in an outbreak scenario and help lay the grounds to prepare a generic regulatory submission dossier.

By joining CEPI's global VMFN, in a future pandemic situation, Samsung Biologics will provide CEPI with guaranteed access to up to potentially 50 million vaccine doses, and an additional one billion doses of drug substance ready to be converted into finished vaccines. This arrangement reserves doses for vulnerable populations in underserved LMIC regions and at the same time, enables Korea's national needs to be met in line with CEPI's Equitable Access Policy.

"We are delighted to welcome Samsung Biologics to CEPI's Vaccine Manufacturing Facility Network. Their recombinant protein production scale and technical capabilities add vital strength to our outbreak-response infrastructure," said Dr Richard Hatchett, CEO of CEPI. "Partnering with one of the world's foremost recombinant protein contract manufacturers will help us move more rapidly from prototype sequence to production and get vaccines to the underserved global communities that need them most."

The partnership supports CEPI's 100 Days Mission — a global effort to develop vaccines within 100 days of identifying a novel pathogen with pandemic potential — by putting in place pre-agreed, end-to-end manufacturing pathways that enable rapid scaling. It also advances CEPI's strategy to broaden the technological mix and geographical reach of the VMFN with our first East Asian partner – helping to ensure more agile, distributed, and reliable supply during future disease outbreaks.

"This agreement reflects our commitment to supporting a reliable and agile vaccine supply ecosystem through continued innovation and strong collaboration. It also contributes to Korea's ability to secure timely access to vaccines during urgent public-health situations," said John Rim, President and CEO of Samsung Biologics. "By working with CEPI to advance recombinant protein vaccine development and ensure capacity for timely production when demand rises, we aim to broaden access to high-quality vaccines for patients around the world. Samsung Biologics will continue to apply its technical and manufacturing expertise to strengthen global preparedness and help build a more resilient response environment."

Additional projects to support vaccine technology transfer, regulatory preparedness, and developing vaccine innovations may be developed as the partnership with Samsung Biologics evolves. Samsung Biologics advanced large-scale GMP manufacturing capabilities will ensure reliable access to vaccine production capacity, thereby supporting effective responses for future epidemics and pandemics.

Samsung Biologics becomes the latest organisation to join CEPI's growing VMFN, which now includes manufacturing partners in Brazil, India, Indonesia, South Africa and Senegal. Together, the VMFN aims to create a globally distributed manufacturing ecosystem capable of producing vaccines at speed and scale — ensuring that populations everywhere, but particularly in LMIC regions, can access countermeasures when new health threats emerge.

Notes to editors

CEPI is an innovative partnership between public, private, philanthropic, and civil organisations. Its mission is to accelerate the development of vaccines and other biologic countermeasures against epidemic and pandemic threats so they can be accessible to all people in need. CEPI has supported the development of more than 70 vaccine candidates or platform technologies against multiple known high-risk pathogens or a future Disease X. Central to CEPI's pandemic-beating plan is the '100 Days Mission' to compress the time taken to develop safe, effective and accessible vaccines against new threats to just 100 days. Learn more at CEPI.net.  

About Samsung Biologics 

Samsung Biologics (KRX: 207940.KS) is a leading contract development and manufacturing organization (CDMO), offering end-to-end integrated services that range from late discovery to commercial manufacturing.

With a combined biomanufacturing capacity of 785,000 liters across Bio Campus I and II, and 60,000 liters from the planned acquisition of a manufacturing facility in Rockville, Maryland, U.S. upon deal closure at the end of Q1 2026, Samsung Biologics leverages cutting-edge technologies and expertise to advance diverse modalities, including multispecific antibodies, fusion proteins, antibody-drug conjugates, and mRNA therapeutics.

By implementing the ExellenS™ framework across its manufacturing network with standardized designs, unified processes, and advanced digitalization, Samsung Biologics ensures plant equivalency and speed for manufacturing continuity.

Samsung Biologics' global manufacturing and commercial network spans Korea, the U.S., and Japan. Samsung Biologics America supports clients based in the U.S. and Europe, while its Tokyo sales office serves the APAC region.

Samsung Biologics continues to invest in new capabilities to maximize operational and quality excellence, ensuring flexibility and agility for clients. The company is committed to the on-time, in-full delivery of safe, high-quality biomedicines, as well as to making sustainable business decisions for the betterment of society and global health.

For more information, visit https://samsungbiologics.com/

Media contacts

CEPI
E: press@cepi.net
P: +44 7387 055214

Samsung Biologics  
Claire Kim, Senior Director cair.kim@samsung.com

** The press release content is from PR Newswire. Bastille Post is not involved in its creation. **

CEPI and Samsung Biologics collaborate to strengthen outbreak-ready vaccine production and global access

CEPI and Samsung Biologics collaborate to strengthen outbreak-ready vaccine production and global access

GUANGZHOU, China, Feb. 3, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- On January 30, MINISO announced an accelerated global growth roadmap at its 2026 Global Partner Conference in Guangzhou, highlighting proprietary IP development and the continued evolution of its store formats and brand strategy. By upgrading the immersive store format as a physical touchpoint within its IP ecosystem, strengthening end‑to‑end IP operations, and increasing investment in proprietary IP, MINISO is advancing toward becoming a global IP operation platform.

Building a Scalable, End‑to‑End Proprietary IP Ecosystem

MINISO's IP journey has been built on a solid and steadily expanding foundation. Since 2020, the company has established strategic partnerships with more than 180 leading global IPs, attracting tens of millions of fans worldwide and generating cumulative sales of over 800 million IP‑driven products. These collaborations have strengthened MINISO's capabilities across the entire IP value chain—from integrated product development to omnichannel distribution and scalable global execution.

Building on this foundation, MINISO is accelerating the development of a proprietary IP ecosystem as a core pillar of its next growth phase. Since early 2025, MINISO's in‑house IP portfolio has expanded rapidly. New proprietary IPs such as YOYO, Kumaru, Angry Amiee, and Carrot Street have already gained large fan bases.

Early commercial results highlight the potential of this strategy. MINISO's flagship proprietary IP, Gift Bear and Friends, has delivered remarkable sales performance, while YOYO has generated strong foot traffic at retail locations and inspired a surge of user-generated content on social media within six months of launch—demonstrating strong cross‑cultural appeal and validating MINISO's growing IP incubation capabilities. "IP represents emotion, culture, and meaning. The next stage of competition will be defined by who understands culture and IP more deeply," said Ye Guofu, founder and CEO of MINISO. "We must stay curious and keep learning to create world-class original IPs and bring 100 IPs to the global stage over the next decade."

Channel Evolution: Amplifying IP Value Through Immersive Retail Experiences

As IP becomes an increasingly important driver of consumer engagement, MINISO is upgrading its physical channels to deliver greater scale, immersion, and strategic impact. Through the integration of spatial design and IP‑driven storytelling, MINISO LAND transforms stores into multifunctional spaces for IP display, interaction, and commerce. Beyond showcasing collaborations with global IPs, MINISO LAND also supports the incubation and long‑term development of proprietary IPs—strengthening its role as a bridge between creators and consumers and reinforcing physical retail as essential IP operating infrastructure.

Coinciding with the Global Partner Conference, the MINISO LAND flagship store at Guangzhou's Grandview Mall, one of the city's most centrally located and high-traffic commercial destinations, officially opened. The launch marks the second MINISO LAND in Guangzhou, following the Beijing Road store, whose design draws inspiration from the city's historic arcade streets. Featuring a dynamic, three-dimensional façade, the exterior weaves proprietary IPs such as YOYO and Gift Bear with birds, animals, flowers, and botanical elements—echoing the mall's ecological theme while creating a striking brand visual landmark. Spanning over 1,000 square meters across two floors, the store features an assortment in which IP products make up 90% of the offering. With globally popular IPs and highly recognizable themed zones, the store has emerged as a new hotspot for shoppers.

The Guangzhou opening builds on strong performance from the Shanghai MINISO LAND flagship on Nanjing Road, which set a global single-month sales record among MINISO stores. MINISO LAND now operates across major high-tier cities, including Guangzhou, Shanghai, Beijing, Wuhan, and Chongqing, as well as selected overseas markets such as Thailand, with each city featuring a uniquely designed landmark MINISO LAND store in a prime commercial location. As part of its international expansion, MINISO plans to accelerate the global rollout of the MINISO LAND format in 2026. This IP‑led, experience‑driven channel upgrade deepens consumer engagement and strengthens MINISO's position as a leading global IP operation platform.

MINISO IP Genius Program: Investing in Global Creative Talent and IP Breakthroughs

Reinforcing its long‑term commitment to IP development, MINISO announced the launch of the MINISO IP Genius Program. Designed as a full‑chain incubation pathway, the program offers top creative talent worldwide individual annual compensation of up to RMB 10 million to develop next‑generation proprietary IPs. MINISO aims to cultivate a sustainable global pipeline of creators and accelerate the commercialization of new IPs across international markets—powered by the company's end‑to‑end operational strengths.

As IP plays an increasingly central role in global consumer culture, MINISO is scaling both its proprietary IP ecosystem and the global presence of MINISO LAND, strengthening its ability to connect with audiences across markets. Through this dual strategy, MINISO continues to progress toward its vision of becoming a globally leading IP operation platform.

 

** The press release content is from PR Newswire. Bastille Post is not involved in its creation. **

MINISO Accelerates Global IP Strategy, Advancing Toward Becoming a Leading IP Operation Platform

MINISO Accelerates Global IP Strategy, Advancing Toward Becoming a Leading IP Operation Platform

MINISO Accelerates Global IP Strategy, Advancing Toward Becoming a Leading IP Operation Platform