SK Plasma said that it has won the $20-million bid to supply LIV-Gamma, a human immunoglobulin, to Brazil’s Ministry of Health

SK Plasma's human immunoglobulin LIV-Gamma

LIV-Gamma reduces the risk of infection in individuals with poorly functioning immune systems such as those with hereditary immunodeficiency syndromes, chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL), and following bone marrow transplantation, by increasing the platelet counts in individuals with idiopathic thrombocytopenic purpura (ITP).

It also prevents coronary artery aneurysms associated with Kawasaki syndrome.

The Brazilian health ministry selected SK Plasma as the final supplier among eight global blood drug companies, including Australia’s CSL and Switzerland’s Octapharma. The amount is also the largest export in the company’s history. According to MRB, a market research firm specializing in blood products, the market for immunoglobulins in Latin America was about 350 billion won ($292.5 million) in 2016, with Brazil accounting for 35 percent of the market.

SK Plasma has been expanding its influence in South American markets, including Peru, Dominica, and Paraguay, since 2016. It expects to accelerate its entry into the Latin American blood product market based on its technology.

The company plans to manufacture the product at its new plant located in Andong Bio Industrial Complex in North Gyeongsang Province. The new SK Plasma, which has been fully operational since October last year, is a state-of-the-art blood production facility with a capacity of 600,000 liters per year.

“The LIV-Gamma export proved the excellence and global competitiveness of SK plasma blood products,” SK Plasma CEO Kim Yun-ho said. “We will speed up entry into the American market based on its entry into Brazil.”

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