Sandoz Advances Biosimilar Leadership By Launching New Slovenia Facility To Scale European Operations And Global Distribution

Sandoz, a global leader in generic and biosimilar medicines, has announced the start of construction on a new, advanced biosimilars production facility in Brnik, Slovenia. This state-of-the-art plant will focus on the manufacturing of sterile injectable products and represents a significant investment of USD 440 million. With this project, Sandoz’s total planned and ongoing investment in Slovenia will exceed USD 1.1 billion by 2029.

The Brnik facility is designed to support the growing demand for biosimilars worldwide and will play a key role in the company’s strategy to establish a fully integrated biosimilar hub in Europe. It complements other major Sandoz investments in Slovenia, including a biosimilar drug substance production center in Lendava and a biosimilar development center in Ljubljana. Together, these facilities aim to strengthen Sandoz’s global supply chain and production capabilities.

Once operational, the Brnik site will handle various stages of biosimilar production, including preparation, filling, assembly, and packaging of sterile injectable products. It will also house quality control laboratories to ensure the highest standards of product safety and efficacy. The plant is being built using the latest technologies and will enhance the company’s ability to deliver high-quality, affordable biosimilar medicines to patients around the world.

This investment aligns with Sandoz’s long-term strategic roadmap, as the company positions itself to capitalize on the growing biosimilar market. Over the next decade, biologic drug patents worth an estimated USD 222 billion are expected to expire, opening up a major opportunity for biosimilar manufacturers. With 11 marketed biosimilar molecules and a robust pipeline of 28 more in development, Sandoz is well-prepared to meet this demand and expand patient access to essential treatments.

Richard Saynor, Chief Executive Officer of Sandoz, said in a statement, Biosimilars is the fastest-growing segment of our pipeline as the need of patients and healthcare systems for these critical medicines continues to grow rapidly. As the global leader in the field, we are investing to meet rapidly growing patient demand. With a commitment of over USD 1.1 billion, we are proud to significantly expand our biosimilar manufacturing capacity in Europe as Slovenia’s largest direct foreign investor. This is another major step that will position Sandoz uniquely to capitalize on the unprecedented biosimilars market opportunity of the next decade."

Glenn Gerecke, Chief Manufacturing and Supply Officer at Sandoz, mentioned, “Our investment in biomanufacturing in the heart of Europe marks another important milestone in building our own independent manufacturing network – one that enhances our control, resilience and agility across the global supply chain. We recognize the strategic value Slovenia brings for us as a company: a highly skilled talent pool in natural sciences and engineering; a central location with world-class logistics infrastructure; cost-competitive production; and a stable, innovation-driven environment closely connected to academia and research."

Biosimilars are increasingly recognized as essential for improving access to biologic therapies and ensuring the sustainability of healthcare systems. They offer more affordable alternatives, promote competition, support innovation, and help maintain the steady supply of critical medicines. Through its continued investment in Slovenia and its global capabilities, Sandoz is reinforcing its commitment to advancing biosimilar development and delivering better healthcare outcomes.