We Just Built a $1.5B Biologics Company… And We're Here to Disrupt the Industry - Joon Chang

What does it really take to build credibility as a new CDMO in a highly competitive biologics market, while staying grounded in patient impact?

This week on Making It In Manufacturing, Harry Sloan sat down with Joon Chang, Chief Business Officer at Lotte Biologics, with years of experience spanning Pharma, CDMO, project management, and business development roles across global organisations.

In this episode, Joon Chang covers:

• (02:17) Building credibility as a new CDMO and overcoming the challenge of limited track record while leveraging experienced talent from legacy manufacturing sites

• (03:05) Why people and expertise matter more than company age when delivering successful tech transfer, development, and manufacturing outcomes

• (04:17) The importance of tailoring partnerships to individual client needs and building long-term relationships across Pharma and biotech organisations

• (07:00) Career journey from bench scientist to commercial leadership, and how experience across Pharma and CDMO environments shapes client-centric thinking

• (10:10) Creating a patient-centric culture in manufacturing and commercial teams, and why connecting daily operations to patient impact strengthens partnerships

If you are interested in how emerging CDMOs can differentiate themselves through culture, capability, and client alignment, this episode offers a grounded and practical perspective worth your time.

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Joon Chang

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/joon-chang-a337895/

Harry Sloan

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/harry-sloan-605620154/

Timestamps:

00:00 Introduction at the DCAT Conference

00:33 Overview of Lotte Biologics and market positioning

01:20 Capabilities in biologics manufacturing and conjugation

02:01 Challenges of entering the CDMO market as a new player

03:05 Importance of talent and retained expertise from legacy sites

03:52 Building relationships with Pharma and biotech clients

04:24 Dual hub model across the US and South Korea

05:01 Manufacturing scale advantages and commercial readiness

06:19 Speed, cost efficiency, and internal tech transfer benefits

07:00 Career journey from Pharma to CDMO leadership

08:04 Understanding client mindset from both Pharma and CDMO perspectives

08:54 Project management experience and client relationship ownership

09:43 Leadership philosophy and full lifecycle thinking

10:10 Building an ideal organisational culture

10:40 Patient-centric approach and ultra-rare disease considerations

11:43 Connecting operations to patient impact

12:34 Applying culture to commercial and sales teams

13:21 Business development mission and value creation

13:40 Leadership approach and empowering teams

15:00 Vision for disrupting the CDMO industry

16:21 Growth, partnerships, and expanding patient reach

17:01 Personal motivation and purpose behind the work

18:00 Team culture and collaboration

#MakingItInManufacturing #ARTOTalent #Biologics #CDMO #Pharma #Biotech #Manufacturing

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