Sandoz announces plans to build a Biosimilar Technical Development Center in Slovenia to support future growth of biosimilar pipeline

• Planned investment of approximately USD 90 million to build a state-of-the-art Sandoz Biosimilar Technical Development Center in Ljubljana, Slovenia by 2026

• New end-to-end drug substance and drug product development center will be an important step in expanding Sandoz’ Biopharma Technical Development capabilities

• Approximately 200 full-time associates will be hired in Slovenia

Basel, July 20, 2023 — Sandoz, a global leader in generic and biosimilar medicines, today announced an investment of approximately USD 90 million at its site in Ljubljana, Slovenia to establish a dedicated Sandoz Biopharma Development Center by 2026.

With this investment, the Ljubljana site will become one of the key locations for biosimilar product development at Sandoz. The new site will lead to the creation of approximately 200 new full-time jobs and further strengthen the company's capabilities in end-to-end drug substance and drug product development of biosimilars.

The planned investment complements recently announced Sandoz plans to invest at least USD 400 million in a new biologics manufacturing plant in Lendava, Slovenia, as well as expanding its biosimilar development capabilities at its facility in Holzkirchen, Germany. It also builds on existing small molecule product development capabilities in Ljubljana, where Sandoz has successfully established comprehensive capabilities to develop technologically complex generic pharmaceuticals.

Claire D'Abreu Hayling, Chief Scientific Officer, Sandoz, said: "The new Biosimilar Development Center in Ljubljana will build on these capabilities, helping Sandoz to meet rapidly rising global demand for biosimilars and to make an even more meaningful contribution to the long-term viability of healthcare systems around the world."

Biosimilars play a crucial role in the treatment and prevention of numerous debilitating and life-threatening conditions, including various types of cancer, psoriasis, and arthritis. They drive competition and cost savings, helping to address the escalating cost pressures faced by global healthcare systems.

Sandoz is committed to helping millions of patients by providing access to affordable safe and effective biologic medicines across a range of areas including immunology, oncology, supportive care and endocrinology. It has a leading global portfolio with eight marketed biosimilars and a further 24 molecules in various stages of development.

Disclaimer 
This press release contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of the United States Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Forward-looking statements can generally be identified by words such as “potential,” “can,” “will,” “plan,” “may,” “could,” “would,” “expect,” “anticipate,” “look forward,” “believe,” “committed,” “investigational,” “pipeline,” “launch,” or similar terms, or by express or implied discussions regarding potential marketing approvals, new indications or labeling for the investigational or approved products described in this press release, or regarding potential future revenues from such products. You should not place undue reliance on these statements. Such forward-looking statements are based on our current beliefs and expectations regarding future events, and are subject to significant known and unknown risks and uncertainties. Should one or more of these risks or uncertainties materialize, or should underlying assumptions prove incorrect, actual results may vary materially from those set forth in the forward-looking statements. There can be no guarantee that the investigational or approved products described in this press release will be submitted or approved for sale or for any additional indications or labeling in any market, or at any particular time. Neither can there be any guarantee that, if approved, such generic or biosimilar products will be approved for all indications included in the reference product’s label. Nor can there be any guarantee that such products will be commercially successful in the future. In particular, our expectations regarding such products could be affected by, among other things, the uncertainties inherent in research and development, including clinical trial results and additional analysis of existing clinical data; regulatory actions or delays or government regulation generally; the particular prescribing preferences of physicians and patients; competition in general, including potential approval of additional generic or biosimilar versions of such products; global trends toward health care cost containment, including government, payor and general public pricing and reimbursement pressures and requirements for increased pricing transparency; litigation outcomes, including intellectual property disputes or other legal efforts to prevent or limit Sandoz from selling its products; general political, economic and business conditions, including the effects of and efforts to mitigate pandemic diseases such as COVID-19; safety, quality, data integrity or manufacturing issues; potential or actual data security and data privacy breaches, or disruptions of our information technology systems, and other risks and factors referred to in Novartis AG’s current Form 20-F on file with the US Securities and Exchange Commission. Novartis is providing the information in this press release as of this date and does not undertake any obligation to update any forward-looking statements contained in this press release as a result of new information, future events or otherwise.

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About Sandoz
Sandoz, a Novartis division, is a global leader in generic pharmaceuticals and biosimilars. Our purpose is to pioneer access for patients by developing and commercializing novel, affordable approaches that address unmet medical needs. Our ambition is to be the world’s leading and most valued generics company. Our broad portfolio of high-quality medicines covers all major therapeutic areas.

Sandoz on social media:
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/sandoz
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CEO Richard Saynor on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/richard-saynor/

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