In 1971, GC Pharma (formerly known as Green Cross Corporation) became the first company in South Korea and the sixth company in the world to establish a plasma fractionation plant. In 2009, it completed the construction of the Ochang Plant, the largest biotech facility at the time. GC Pharma has been producing and exporting a variety of plasma-derived products, including albumin, immunoglobulin, and antithrombin.
Disease prevention is an area of focus for the company. In 1983, the company became the third in the world to develop a hepatitis-B vaccine, known as Hepavax, followed by in 1988 becoming the first in the world to develop a vaccine against the Hantavirus hemorrhagic fever (Hantavax). In 1993, GC Pharma became the second in the world to develop a varicella vaccine (Suduvax), and in 2015 it became the fourth in the world to develop a quadrivalent flu vaccine (GC Flu Quadrivalent).
In addition, GC Pharma has been tackling rare diseases with recombinant DNA technology, becoming the second in the world to develop a treatment for Hunter syndrome (Hunterase) in 2012 and the third in the world to introduce a recombinant factor treatment for hemophilia A (GreenGene F) in 2010.
In 2001, GC Pharma became the first pharmaceutical company in Korea to adopt a holding company structure with GC in an effort to enhance its specialization and competitiveness in the global market.
GC has also set up local companies in the United States (plasma centers) and China (plasma-fractionation facility and distribution center).
In addition to launching flu and varicella vaccines on the international organization procurement market, GC Pharma has also recently opened a plasma fractionation plant in Canada and begun the process of obtaining a product license for its immunoglobulin, IVIG-SN, from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) — an effort to expand its presence in the North American and global market.
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