Sandoz signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) to build a new biologics production plant in Lendava, Slovenia. The investment is expected to be at least $400 million, supporting the company’s ambition to drive the future growth of its global biosimilars portfolio. This represents one of the largest-ever international private-sector investments in Slovenia.
Speaking at the signing ceremony, Dr Robert Golob, Prime Minister of the Republic of Slovenia, said: “I am particularly pleased that this is an investment by a long-term strategic investor, a socially responsible and sustainable company, which is already one of the largest and most respected employers in Slovenia. With such investments, we are well on our way to a highly productive, competitive and green economy." Sandoz CEO Richard Saynor said: “Biosimilar medicines increase access to cutting-edge biologic therapies for the patients who need them most. At Sandoz, we are determined to continue leading the way on driving access to these critical medicines. This investment underscores our ambition to be the sustainable global leader in biosimilars, a segment projected to grow double-digit annually over the next decade.” Glenn Gerecke, Global Head of Technical Operations, added: “This state-of-the-art site will be a major new jewel in the Sandoz crown, enabling us to meet growing demand for our current and future biosimilars in the mid- to long-term. The location offers us a strong combination of political stability, proximity to our existing European-based production and commercial operations, and competitive costs.”
Work on the new plant is set to begin this year, with full operations provisonally planned for late 2026. The subsidiary of Novartis also recently announced an additional EUR 50 million investment to expand its European-based antibiotics production network, bringing the total new investment commitment to the network in the past few years to €250 million. Anti-infectives (primarily antibiotics) is the second largest Sandoz business after Biopharmaceuticals, and both have their roots in the company’s unique 75-year history of developing fermentation-based production technologies.
