Overview of Hwasun Vaccine Industry Special District
Located in Hwasun, Jeonnam Province, Hwasun Vaccine Industry Special District was established by the Ministry of Trade, Industry & Energy (MOTIE) of Korea in accordance with the "Act on Special Cases concerning the Regulation of the Special Economic Zones for Specialized Regional Development" in November 2010. The 941,731 m2 Complex consists of Bio Cluster and Medical Cluster. Thanks to the achievements of vaccine companies and research institutes in the Complex, it has been named as Excellent Regional Industrial Complex by MOTIE and Small- & Medium-Business Administration for four consecutive years since 2012.Bio Cluster (Hwasun Biopharmaceutical Industrial Complex)
Key companies in Bio Cluster
Biopharmaceutical Research Center of Jeonnam Bioindustry Foundation
Biopharmaceutical Research Center of Jeonnam Bioindustry Foundation was founded in the Complex in August 2007. It's engaged in production of clinical trial materials for vaccine and cell therapy products, research & development of biopharmaceutical products, support for start-ups and marketing of the Complex to help attract more companies.
The Center has completed 16 biopharmaceutical projects, including pneumonia vaccine, and established cell culture lines as a contract manufacturing organization and contract service organization. Moreover, it participates in Vaccine 3.0 project (a government project aimed at promoting the globalization of Korea's vaccine industry and commercialization of Korean vaccines) and promotes the establishment of the National Microorganism Substantiation & Support Center in the Complex.
KTR Healthcare Research Center
Korea Testing & Research Institute (KTR) is designed to perform tests, certification and technical consulting for healthcare (i.e. chemical, environmental and green technologies, parts & materials). Since its foundation in the Complex in June 2013, KTR has conducted safety assessment (toxicity experiment), preclinical trials and certification. It has 5 test institutes including one in Hwasun and 12 support centers in Korea. Its healthcare certification service can be divided into: general toxicity experiment of various materials from pharmaceutical, cosmetic products, health supplements, and chemical substances to pesticides under Korean/international regulations by using adequate laboratory animals; and special toxicity experiments (reproductive & developmental toxicity study) which explore teratogenicity and reproductive dysfunctions of chemical substances through animal testing.
Hwasun Plant of Green Cross Corp
One of the key tenants of Bio Cluster, Green Cross Corp entered into the Agreement on the Establishment of Flu Vaccine Material Production Base with Jeolla Province in 2005 and founded the Hwasun Plant in the Hwasun Biopharmaceutical Industrial Complex in 2008. At present, it produces vaccines for flu, Japanese encephalitis, chickenpox, epidemic hemorrhagic fever and tetanus.
Its annual production volume is 110 million doses (100 million for flu vaccines and 10 million for others; one dose refers to a measured amount of vaccine/drug which is intended for an adult to be taken at one time). Hwasun Plant posted 152 billion won in vaccine sales in 2015.
111.3 billion won in private capital is to be additionally invested in the production plant from 2016 to 2018 for expansion of vaccine production lines, so that the plant can emerge as a large vaccine development and production base capable of producing over 100 million doses of finished products (including flu and smallpox vaccines), which is 22 times that of the current volume. Its sales target by 2035 is 1 trillion won.
Medical Cluster (Chonnam National University Hwasun Hospital)
The Medical Cluster (Chonnam National University Hwasun Hospital) specialized in cancer treatment and geriatric care, is the key medical service provider of the region. It is leading the development of the medical industry, including vaccines, with its Clinical Vaccine Research & Development Agency and Biomedical Science & Technology Convergence Center.