Sanofi and Lonza to create new biologics facility in Switzerland

Sanofi and Lonza have announced a new strategic partnership that will see them develop a new large-scale biologics production facility in Visp, Switzerland.

The companies have agreed to build and operate a mammalian cell culture facility for monoclonal antibody production as part of a joint venture, combining the biologics development pipeline of Sanofi with the facilities management expertise of Lonza.

Around 290 million Swiss francs (232.1 million pounds) will be contributed to the project, split equally between the two partners, with the initial phase of the facility to commence construction in 2017.

Pending the necessary regulatory approvals, it is expected that the factory will be fully operational by 2020.

Philippe Luscan, executive vice-president for global industrial affairs at Sanofi, said: "Lonza is a highly experienced partner in this field and the capabilities which this joint venture will create are critical to meeting our patients' needs for these important therapies."

Currently, around 60 percent of Sanofi's pipeline is made up of biologics, including monoclonal antibodies for applications in cardiovascular, immunology and inflammation, neurology and oncology medicine.

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