How Rentschler Biopharma’s New Platforms Aim to Accelerate Biologics Development in Asia

Rentschler Biopharma, headquartered in Laupheim, Germany with additional operations in Milford, Mass., in the United States, announced on Oct. 6, 2025 that it will be expanding its services in Japan and South Korea to provide flexible, optimized solutions for the development and manufacturing of biologics for clients in that global region (1). Namely, the company is introducing the Rentschler Expression Platform, for accelerated timelines in cell line development, and Rentschler Development Services, for best-fit solutions.

What are key opinion leaders saying?

In a company press release, Rentschler Biopharma said it has been active in both Japan and South Korea for many years.

“We at Rentschler Biopharma are deeply grateful for the trust placed in us by our client partners in Japan and South Korea, and we look forward to deepening these relationships as well as building new strategic partnerships through continued collaboration,” Benedikt von Braunmühl, CEO at Rentschler Biopharma, said in the press release (1). “We share the focus of our clients on bringing innovative, high-quality treatments to patients around the globe quickly and efficiently ... We strive to provide our clients with the reliability they need to bring their projects from concept through to market approval.”

In this area of the world, Rentschler Biopharma said it receives support from an established regional partner, Summit Pharmaceuticals International (SPI).

“Together with Rentschler Biopharma, we are honored to collaborate with biopharmaceutical companies in Japan,” Katsuya Okuyama, president and CEO of SPI, said in the press release (1). “Our companies share the goal of enriching lives and the world through the improvement of health and well-being.”

Are other companies choosing Japan and South Korea for expansion?

Both Japan and South Korea have been destinations for new business endeavors in the bio/pharmaceutical space in 2025. Among those developments, Samsung Biologics said in January that it had signed a $1.4 billion contract manufacturing agreement through the end of 2030 with a Europe-based pharmaceutical company, with production to take place at Samsung’s Songdo, South Korea, manufacturing site (2).

In July 2025, Asahi Kasei Life Science, a division of Asahi Kasei, announced that it planned to construct a new spinning plant in Nobeoka City, Miyazaki, Japan, to expand production for its Planova line of virus removal filters, expecting to begin construction in July 2026, with operations slated to start up in January 2030 (3).

What else has Rentschler Biopharma done in 2025?

Rentschler Biopharma began 2025 by saying, in late January, that it would be ceasing its operations in the cell and gene therapy field, closing a site in Stevenage, United Kingdom (4). This realignment, according to a press release at the time, was designed to allow for the company’s increased focus on biologics.

As part of the Oct. 6 announcement, Rentschler Biopharma said it would be attending the BioProcess International Asia conference, to be held in Kyoto, Japan from Oct. 20–22, 2025 (1). This event precedes CPHI Frankfurt 2025, scheduled for Oct. 28–30, 2025, at which Rentschler Biopharma COO Christiane Bardroff is among six nominees for “Woman of the Year” at the annual CPHI Pharma Awards (5).

Winners will be announced at the opening ceremony of CPHI Frankfurt 2025, on Tuesday, Oct. 28. Click here for all of our CPHI coverage.

References

1. Rentschler Biopharma. Rentschler Biopharma Further Expands Its Services in Japan and South Korea and Will Attend BioProcess International Asia. Press Release. Oct. 6, 2025.
2. Mirasol, F. Samsung Biologics Inks More Than $1.4 Billion Manufacturing Deal with European Pharma Company. BioPharmInternational.com, Jan. 16, 2025.
3. Mirasol, F. Asahi Kasei Plans Construction of New Spinning Plant in Japan for Production of Its Planova Virus Removal Filters. BioPharmInternational.com, Aug. 4, 2025.
4. Rentschler Biopharma. Rentschler Biopharma Announces Strategic Realignment of its Global Business Operations. Press Release. Jan. 30, 2025.
5. Mirasol, F. CPHI Frankfurt Reveals 2025 Pharma Awards Finalists for Bio/Pharma Development. PharmTech.com, Sept. 18, 2025.