Sandoz Group AG announced on 8 September 2026 a USD 300 million investment to build a new biosimilar drug‑substance facility in Ljubljana, Slovenia. The plant will use disposable fed‑batch (DFB) technology, complementing the company's existing high‑volume and continuous manufacturing lines.
When operational in 2029, the site will host four DFB reactors and provide an additional 8,000 litres of biologic drug‑substance capacity, enhancing Sandoz's ability to produce low‑ to medium‑volume biosimilars in‑house. The expansion is positioned as a key element of the "Bio100" goal announced earlier that day, which aims to capture a larger share of the long‑term biosimilar market.
"This investment reflects our confidence in the long‑term growth potential of biosimilars and our ambition to maximise the full potential of the upcoming opportunity through our Bio100 goal," said Richard Saynor, chief executive officer of Sandoz. President of Biosimilar Development, Manufacturing & Supply Armin Metzger added that the new facility will strengthen the Europe‑based network that spans low, mid and high‑volume production technologies, providing greater flexibility and capacity control.
The new plant will be located adjacent to a recently opened state‑of‑the‑art biosimilar development centre, facilitating technology transfers, faster scale‑up and tighter operational control across the product lifecycle. The project builds on earlier investments in Sandoz's Slovenian manufacturing footprint.
Sandoz, listed on the SIX Swiss Exchange (SDZ) and OTCQX (SDZNY), reported net sales of USD 11.1 billion in 2025. The company employs more than 20,000 staff from 100 nationalities and markets roughly 1,300 medicines worldwide. In 2026, Sandoz marks 20 years of biosimilar leadership, 80 years of antibiotic production and 140 years of corporate heritage.
The announcement was made as an ad‑hoc release under Article 53 of the SIX Swiss Exchange Listing Rules and contains forward‑looking statements subject to customary risk factors.
