Fresenius Kabi Expands Biosimilar Research Activities - Inauguration Of State-Of-The-Art R&D Center In Eysins, Switzerland

Fresenius Kabi SwissBioSim, a Fresenius Kabi company, opened a new research and development center for biosimilars in Eysins, Switzerland recently with a festive ceremony attended by top company executives, employees and local officials. Among those in attendance were Mats Henriksson, CEO of Fresenius Kabi, Michael Schönhofen, President Pharmaceuticals and Devices Division of Fresenius Kabi, and Philippe Leuba, Councilor of State and Head of the Department of Economic Affairs, Innovation and Sport for the canton of Vaud.

The R&D center, in which the healthcare company has invested about €15 million, will strengthen Fresenius Kabi’s capability to enable access to modern biosimilar treatment options for patients worldwide. Employees in the new center will intensify biosimilars research and development in the areas of autoimmune diseases and oncology, where the company is focusing its biosimilars product development. After its first biosimilar was successfully launched in several countries in Europe, the company is committed to continuing its efforts to make state-of-the-art medicines available to more and more patients around the globe.

The new site in Eysins consists of the R&D center and the offices of Fresenius Kabi’s Biosimilars Business Unit and counts more than 100 employees representing over 20 nationalities. The company plans to expand this team by additional experts from different areas of specialization within biosimilars and biosimilars development in the near future.

"I welcome Fresenius Kabi's Business Unit in Eysins, which strengthens the heart of the Lake Geneva Health Valley with additional skills in the field of life sciences," said State Councilor Philippe Leuba.

A biosimilar is a drug that is “similar” to another biologic drug already approved. In line with Fresenius Kabi’s philosophy of “caring for life,” and building on its heritage of providing high-quality, affordable products, the company’s biosimilars will help make modern therapies more accessible to patients and healthcare providers.

“Today is a big day for Fresenius Kabi and our Biosimilars business,” said Mats Henriksson. “We are committed to finding the best answers for patients and healthcare professionals. Biosimilars are an outstanding way to help us fulfill our responsibility to provide high-quality products for the treatment and care of critically and chronically ill people. It is a fast-growing segment, and with these additional capacities in research and development, Fresenius Kabi will further strengthen its biosimilars pipeline.”

Michael Schönhofen said: “Investing in the research and development of biosimilars shows Fresenius Kabi’s clear commitment to strengthening our biosimilars portfolio so that patients around the globe can benefit from new, alternative treatment options of the highest quality. We are committed to putting patients first, and this inauguration is yet another step in that direction.”

About Fresenius Kabi

Fresenius Kabi is a global healthcare company that specializes in lifesaving medicines and technologies for infusion, transfusion and clinical nutrition. The company’s products and services are used to help care for critically and chronically ill patients. Fresenius Kabi’s product portfolio comprises a comprehensive range of I.V. generic drugs, infusion therapies and clinical nutrition products as well as the devices for administering these products. In the field of biosimilars, Fresenius Kabi focuses on autoimmune diseases and oncology. In 2019, the first biosimilar product by Fresenius Kabi was launched. Within transfusion and cell technologies, Fresenius Kabi offers products for collection and processing of blood and cell components.

With its corporate philosophy of “caring for life”, the company is committed to putting essential medicines and technologies in the hands of people who help patients and finding the best answers to the challenges they face.

Fresenius Kabi employs over 37,000 people worldwide. In 2018 the company reported sales of more than €6.5B. Fresenius Kabi AG is a wholly owned subsidiary of the Fresenius SE & Co. KGaA healthcare group.

For more information, visit www.fresenius-kabi.com.