Samsung Biologics’ Kasper Øland Discusses Why Biopharma's Shift to Complex Molecules is Redefining What Biotech Companies Require From CDMO Partners

Kasper Øland, Vice President Sales Execution, contract development organization (CDO) Services, Samsung Biologics, spoke to BioPharm International® at the 2026 BIO International Convention (BIO 2026), where he discusses evolving biotech expectations of contract development and manufacturing organization (CDMO) partnerships and the company’s response to demand for faster, more flexible development timelines.

Øland describes a structural shift in how biotech and pharmaceutical companies approach CDMO relationships. Rather than treating CDMOs as supply chain vendors, companies increasingly expect a CDMO to function as an extension of their own operational team to ensure greater predictability, transparency, and timeline flexibility. He attributes this shift in part to the complexity of molecules now dominating development pipelines and to tighter funding conditions from venture capital and private equity, which have compressed investigational new drug (IND) timelines and reduced tolerance for development risk.

How can companies adapt to meet demand for complex molecule development?

Complex molecules, including bispecific and multispecific antibodies and antibody-drug conjugates (ADCs), now represent more than 55% of Samsung Biologics' customer pipeline, Øland says, which surpasses monoclonal antibodies (mAbs) as the dominant modality. To meet this evolving pipeline demand, the company has developed platform-based cell line development and process development capabilities across three distinct cell lines applicable to different molecule types.

"It's about getting started as soon as possible and managing the risks," Øland explains, describing speed-to-market not as a technical mystery but as the result of applying tailored platforms to the right molecule at the right development stage.

Øland identifies consistent, customer-centric service delivery as the primary challenge facing CDMOs, emphasizing that shortening timelines while improving return on investment for both biotech customers and their investors is the defining competitive measure in the current market.

BIO 2026 occurred June 22–25 in San Diego.

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About the speaker

Kasper Øland is vice president of sales execution for the CDO Services division of Samsung Biologics.