News | November 10, 2023

Sandoz Inaugurates New Antibiotic Production Plant In Austria And New Biosimilar Development Center In Germany

  • Investment of EUR 175 million reaffirms Sandoz commitment to long-term leadership in off-patent medicines
  • New penicillin production process will significantly improve ecological footprint and help secure European-based supply
  • Cutting-edge development hub will play key role in supporting long-term growth of leading biosimilar business

Sandoz, the global leader in generic and biosimilar medicines, has opened two new European facilities, in line with its ongoing plans to strengthen sustainable development and supply of critical medicines in Europe and beyond.

The inauguration of a new facility for production of penicillin at Kundl, Austria, and a new biosimilar development center in Holzkirchen, Germany, reaffirm the dual Sandoz commitment to ensuring sustainable access to quality antibiotics and spearheading development of biosimilars.

Sandoz has the only major remaining vertically-integrated production network for penicillins in Europe; penicillins are the leading category of antibiotics worldwide. The EUR 150 million Kundl investment, which includes a contribution of EUR 50 million from the Austrian federal government, represents a significant upgrade of penicillin API (active pharmaceutical ingredient) manufacturing.

Richard Saynor, CEO Sandoz said: "These investments strengthen our industrial presence in Europe, reinforce our commitment to environmental responsibility, and reaffirm our determination to be the world's leading and most valued generics and biosimilars company. Antibiotics are the backbone of modern medicine and the Kundl plant is a testament to the resilience of European manufacturing. The new development center in Holzkirchen will become a global hub for biosimilar expertise."

The EUR 25 million Holzkirchen investment will pave the way for the German site to become the leading Sandoz analytical characterization center for biosimilars.

The Austrian federal and Bavarian state governments have been highly supportive of these projects, recognizing their importance for ensuring availability of medicines and advancing medical research in Europe.

About Sandoz
Sandoz is the global leader in generic and biosimilar medicines, with a growth strategy driven by its Purpose: pioneering access for patients. 22,000 people of more than 100 nationalities work together to bring Sandoz medicines to some 500 million patients worldwide, generating substantial global healthcare savings and an even larger total social impact. Its leading portfolio of more than 1500 products addresses diseases from the common cold to cancer. Headquartered in Basel, Switzerland, Sandoz traces its heritage back to the year 1886. Its history of breakthroughs includes Calcium Sandoz in 1929, the world’s first oral penicillin in 1951, and the first biosimilar in 2006. In 2022, Sandoz achieved sales of USD 9.1 billion and core EBITDA of USD 1.9 billion.

Source: Sandoz Group AG