Kim Young-im (right), head of process solutions at Merck Korea, and Shin Woong, head of quality management at GC Biopharma, pose for a photo after signing an MOU at the Merck Korea headquarters in Seoul on Wednesday. (Merck Korea) Merck Life Science and GC Biopharma have signed a strategic memorandum of understanding to expand cooperation in biopharmaceutical development, good manufacturing practice production processes and technical collaboration, the companies said Thursday.Under the agreement, signed in Seoul on Wednesday, the two companies will work to strengthen supply stability and manufacturing competitiveness for GC Biopharma’s key therapies by establishing a more responsive production and supply system.Merck said it would support the supply of critical raw materials used in GC Biopharma’s flagship products, including Alyglo and Hunterase.The partnership also includes plans to build an end-to-end supply system covering raw material sourcing, process support and production planning. Merck said it would prioritize high-quality batch allocation to help ensure uninterrupted treatment supply.The two companies additionally agreed to expand technical cooperation through regular committee meetings, sharing manufacturing technologies and exploring joint research and development opportunities.Merck said it plans to leverage its global life science expertise to strengthen GC Biopharma’s manufacturing capabilities and support the supply of essential therapies.GC Biopharma said the collaboration would help reinforce its manufacturing and supply foundation for rare disease treatments while improving quality standards and minimizing supply-chain risks.