News | September 29, 2026

Sandoz Opens Advanced High-Volume Drug Substance Manufacturing Centre In Lendava, Significantly Strengthening In-House Capacity And Flexibility Across Leading European Biosimilar Network

  • Recently announced Sandoz Bio100 goal gains further momentum with opening of high-tech, high-volume biosimilar drug substance manufacturing centre in Lendava, Slovenia
  • In-house production at scale will complement continuous manufacturing at Toulouse and recently announced investment in advanced disposable fed-batch capabilities in Ljubljana
  • Strengthens Europe’s biologic manufacturing base and reinforces supply chain resilience and European strategic autonomy for key biologic medicines

Sandoz, the global leader in affordable medicines, today opens 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.

Richard Saynor, Sandoz Chief Executive Officer, says: “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.”

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, as outlined at the Company’s recent Capital Markets Day.

Site Visit: Biosimilar Hub, Slovenia
Sandoz plans to host an investor and analyst site visit in Slovenia from 9-10 November, providing further insight into the Company’s new biosimilar development, manufacturing and supply chain hub. Attendance is by invitation only on a first-come, first-served basis; invitations have been distributed. The event will not be webcasted.

About Sandoz
Sandoz is the global leader in affordable medicines, with a growth strategy driven by its Purpose: pioneering access for patients. More than 20,000 colleagues of 100 nationalities work together to ensure over one billion patients are reached by Sandoz, generating substantial global healthcare savings and an even larger social impact. Its leading portfolio of approximately 1,300 medicines addresses diseases from the common cold to cancer. Headquartered in Basel, Switzerland, Sandoz traces its heritage back to 1886. In 2026, Sandoz celebrates 20 years of pioneering biosimilars, 80 years of antibiotics manufacturing and 140 years of heritage. In 2025, Sandoz recorded net sales of USD 11.1 billion.

Source: Sandoz Group AG