Sanofi and Lonza have entered into a strategic partnership to build and operate a large-scale mammalian cell culture facility for monoclonal antibody production in Visp, Switzerland. The joint venture combines the strong biologics development pipeline of Sanofi with the expertise of Lonza to design, construct, start-up and operate a state-of-the-art large-scale mammalian cell culture facility. The initial investment will be about $285 million, to be split equally between each company.
The initial phase of the facility will begin construction in 2017, pending necessary approvals, and is expected to be fully operational by 2020. Lonza has previously built and licensed three similar facilities in the United States and Singapore.
“In addition to the investments we are making in building our own internal production capabilities, the joint venture between Sanofi and Lonza emphasizes our commitment to provide access for patients to high quality therapeutic monoclonal antibodies,” said Philippe Luscan, Executive Vice President, Global Industrial Affairs, Sanofi.
Read the full release