July 20 (SeeNews) - Switzerland-based generic pharmaceuticals producer Sandoz, a unit of Novartis, plans to invest $90 million (80 million euro) in the establishment of a dedicated Sandoz Biopharma Development Center at its site in Slovenia's capital Ljubljana, it said on Thursday.
The new site, to be opened by 2026, will allow the creation of 200 new full-time jobs and will further strengthen the company's capabilities in end-to-end drug substance and drug product development of biosimilars, Sandoz said in a statement.
"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," Chief Scientific Officer (CSO) Claire D'Abreu Hayling said.
The planned investment complements recently announced Sandoz plans to invest at least $400 million in a new biologics manufacturing plant in Lendava, Slovenia, as well as expanding its biosimilar development capabilities at its facility in Holzkirchen, Germany.
Sandoz also builds on existing small molecule product development capabilities in Ljubljana, where it has successfully established comprehensive capabilities to develop technologically complex generic pharmaceuticals.
Earlier this month, Novartis completed the transfer of assets worth 691.6 million euro of Slovenian subsidiary Lek to its other local unit, Novartis Slovenia, as part of the global process for the spin-off of Sandoz announced last year.
In Slovenia, Sandoz now covers generic and similar biological drugs, while Novartis is active in the field of innovative drugs. Sandoz will be represented in Slovenia by the joint-stock companies Lek and Sandoz, while Novartis will be active in the country via Novartis Slovenia and Novartis Pharma Services.
($ = 0.8920 euro)