Sandoz, has opened a high-tech, high-volume biosimilar drug substance production centre in Lendava, Slovenia. The opening marks an important initial step towards realising the recently announced Bio100 ambition of having more than 100 biosimilars in the portfolio by 2040.
The opening of this major facility is a significant milestone on our way to reaching our Bio100 goal. By further strengthening our leading end-to-end biosimilar network in Europe, we are paving the way to meet rapidly growing demand for affordable, high-quality biologic medicines. This will reinforce supply resilience, help to secure Europe’s biologic manufacturing base and strategic autonomy while expanding patient access and creating the foundation for future growth
Richard Saynor, Sandoz Chief Executive Officer
Armin Metzger, President Biosimilar Development, Manufacturing & Supply, adds: “Lendava is a major addition to our expanding manufacturing network. It completes a unique combination of low-, medium- and high-volume biosimilar production technologies across several sites in Europe.
“However, the result of this combination will be more than just a network of individual sites and technologies. It will be an end-to-end ecosystem that offers Sandoz the ideal platform to deliver Bio100. Our flexible drug substance network will allow us to select the most appropriate manufacturing technology for each product, helping us to respond to evolving market needs, improve efficiency and support reliable patient access to the affordable, high-quality biologic medicines they need.”
The Lendava biosimilar drug substance centre is built around smart automation and process analytical technology, including quality by design from development through to full-scale manufacturing.
The facility employs over 300 experts and has been designed to meet the highest international safety, quality and environmental standards.
The Lendava facility is the second major biosimilar facility completed in Slovenia this year, following the opening in June of the state-of-the-art Sandoz biosimilar development centre in Ljubljana.
It forms part of a growing European biosimilar network, including a recently announced investment in low- to mid-volume-scale commercial manufacturing in Ljubljana, designed to expand patient access and reinforce Sandoz global leadership in biosimilars.
