Sandoz Group AG announced a licensing, development, manufacturing and commercialisation agreement with mAbxience to pursue a biosimilar version of emicizumab, currently in early-stage development. The reference medicine, Hemlibra, treats patients with haemophilia A and commands an estimated USD 5.7 billion in global annual sales, according to Roche's 2025 finance report.
Under the deal, Sandoz will hold exclusive global commercialisation rights for the proposed biosimilar, excluding Argentina, Uruguay and Paraguay. mAbxience will lead development and manufacturing. Financial terms were not disclosed.
The agreement marks Sandoz's first haemophilia biosimilar candidate in its pipeline. Haemophilia A, the most common form of haemophilia accounting for roughly 80% of cases, is caused by inadequate or defective factor VIII and more than half of affected patients have the severe form.
Richard Saynor, chief executive officer of Sandoz, said the collaboration reinforces the company's commitment to expanding patient access to biosimilars, particularly in rare diseases where rising treatment costs strain healthcare systems.
Sandoz's biosimilar pipeline now totals 40 assets, building on earlier partnerships with Henlius for up to 10 molecules and Samsung Bioepis for up to five. The company currently has 13 biosimilar molecules available in nearly 100 countries. Sandoz is celebrating 20 years of biosimilar development in 2026.
Headquartered in Basel, Switzerland, Sandoz traces its heritage to 1886. The company reported net sales of USD 11.1 billion in 2025 and employs more than 20,000 people across 100 nationalities. It trades on the SIX Swiss Exchange under SDZ and on OTCQX under SDZNY.
