Certara inks 1st Korean partnership with Celltrion to boost global drug development

Certara, a specialist in regulatory science and model-based drug discovery, signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) with Celltrion last Friday to collaborate on drug discovery at Celltrion's headquarters in Songdo, Incheon.

The agreement is Certara's first strategic MOU with a Korean pharmaceutical company. According to Celltrion, Certara will support its drug development based on its experience collaborating with the top 25 global pharmaceutical companies, including Pfizer, Novartis, and Johnson & Johnson, from the early stages of drug development to market launch.

With this MOU, Certara has assembled a team of experts with decades of combined experience, including scientists with over 20 years of individual experience and several former U.S. FDA and EMA reviewers.

“We are very pleased to be working with Celltrion, a leader in developing innovative biopharmaceuticals,” Certara Executive Vice President Ben Schenker said. “With our advanced model-informed drug development (MIDD) capabilities and global regulatory expertise, we look forward to helping them accelerate the delivery of innovative therapies to patients worldwide.”

Celltrion Senior Vice President Kwon Ki-sung said, “This collaboration will further strengthen Celltrion's global drug development capabilities. We will actively pursue more efficient and rapid drug development while meeting global regulatory standards.”

The agreement was signed at Celltrion's Songdo headquarters in Incheon on Friday last week. Officials from the two companies, led by Schenker and Kwon, attended the signing.