Sandoz International GmbH

05/09/2023 | Press release | Distributed by Public on 05/09/2023 08:01

Sandoz developing Holzkirchen site into leading Biopharma Technical Development hub to support future biosimilar growth

  • Investment of EUR 25 million in building and equipment at Holzkirchen site, transforming lab building into a state-of-the-art biotech lab by Q4 2023
  • Site to become leading analytical characterization center, represents significant step in expanding company's Biopharma Technical Development (BioTD)
  • Bavarian Prime Minister Dr. Markus Söder expresses strong support for the project
  • Capacity expansion and collaboration with Munich universities and research institutions to attract talent, up to 45 full-time employees expected to be hired

Holzkirchen, May 09, 2023 - Sandoz, a global leader in generic and biosimilar medicines, today announced an investment of approximately EUR 25 million in its site in Holzkirchen, Germany, to expand its Biopharma Technical Development (BioTD) capabilities and complete a state-of-the-art biotech lab by Q4 2023.

As a result of the investment, Holzkirchen will become one of the primary technical locations for biosimilar development at Sandoz, bringing together state-of-the-art laboratories and analytical expertise at one site. Combined with a major expansion in 2017, this represents a total investment of nearly EUR 100 million in the company's German headquarters.

Thomas Weigold, Sandoz Country President, Germany, and CEO of Hexal AG: "Our continued investment in Holzkirchen reflects our commitment to expanding our BioTD capabilities and reinforces our dedication to providing high-quality biosimilars to patients worldwide."

Sandoz has also submitted a request to the Bavarian State Government for research funding to strengthen its development capabilities.

Prime Minister Dr. Markus Söder: "The Free State of Bavaria strongly supports the continued expansion of Sandoz in Holzkirchen. This investment not only strengthens Bavaria's position as a leading biotechnology hub but also creates new opportunities for research and development, spurring innovation and job growth."

Florian Bieber, Development Platform Head, Biopharmaceuticals, and Chief Medical Officer, Sandoz: "With its central European location and close proximity to Munich, Holzkirchen is ideally situated to attract the top talent needed to establish the site as of a growing network of BioTD centers. In addition, we are increasing our efforts to explore areas of mutual interest and collaboration in bio development with the renowned local universities and research institutes."

This announcement follows Sandoz's recent investments of at least USD 400 million for the construction of a new biologics production plant in Lendava, Slovenia, as well as a total of over EUR 200 million o expand its European-based antibiotics production network.

Sandoz is committed to helping millions of patients sustainably and affordably access critical and potentially life-changing biologic medicines across a range of areas including immunology, oncology, supportive care and endocrinology. It has a leading global portfolio with eight marketed biosimilars and a further 15+ in various stages of development.


Disclaimer
This press release contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of the United States Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Forward-looking statements can generally be identified by words such as "potential," "can," "will," "plan," "may," "could," "would," "expect," "anticipate," "look forward," "believe," "committed," "investigational," "pipeline," "launch," or similar terms, or by express or implied discussions regarding potential marketing approvals, new indications or labeling for the investigational or approved products described in this press release, or regarding potential future revenues from such products. You should not place undue reliance on these statements. Such forward-looking statements are based on our current beliefs and expectations regarding future events, and are subject to significant known and unknown risks and uncertainties. Should one or more of these risks or uncertainties materialize, or should underlying assumptions prove incorrect, actual results may vary materially from those set forth in the forward-looking statements. There can be no guarantee that the investigational or approved products described in this press release will be submitted or approved for sale or for any additional indications or labeling in any market, or at any particular time. Neither can there be any guarantee that, if approved, such generic or biosimilar products will be approved for all indications included in the reference product's label. Nor can there be any guarantee that such products will be commercially successful in the future. In particular, our expectations regarding such products could be affected by, among other things, the uncertainties inherent in research and development, including clinical trial results and additional analysis of existing clinical data; regulatory actions or delays or government regulation generally; the particular prescribing preferences of physicians and patients; competition in general, including potential approval of additional generic or biosimilar versions of such products; global trends toward health care cost containment, including government, payor and general public pricing and reimbursement pressures and requirements for increased pricing transparency; litigation outcomes, including intellectual property disputes or other legal efforts to prevent or limit Sandoz from selling its products; general political, economic and business conditions, including the effects of and efforts to mitigate pandemic diseases such as COVID-19; safety, quality, data integrity or manufacturing issues; potential or actual data security and data privacy breaches, or disruptions of our information technology systems, and other risks and factors referred to in Novartis AG's current Form 20-F on file with the US Securities and Exchange Commission. Novartis is providing the information in this press release as of this date and does not undertake any obligation to update any forward-looking statements contained in this press release as a result of new information, future events or otherwise.


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About Sandoz
Sandoz, a Novartis division, is a global leader in generic pharmaceuticals and biosimilars. Our purpose is to pioneer access for patients by developing and commercializing novel, affordable approaches that address unmet medical needs. Our ambition is to be the world's leading and most valued generics company. Our broad portfolio of high-quality medicines, covering major therapeutic areas, accounted for 2022 sales of USD 9.2 billion.

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