Just-Evotec, Sandoz strengthen biosimilar collaboration

Under the expanded partnership, the contract development and manufacturing organization (CDMO) is eligible for appropriate remuneration, along with milestone payments from 2025. Furthering its commitment to aid Sandoz, the firm has leveraged its J POD biologics manufacturing facility in Toulouse, France.

“This expanded partnership solidifies Just-Evotec’s commitment to providing long-term commercial supply of biosimilars to Sandoz. Sandoz secures further guarantees relating to long-term supply for patients with a reservation of significant commercial manufacturing capacity,” a spokesperson for Just-Evotec told BioProcess Insider.

Announced in 2021, the 10,000 square meter facility, at Campus Curie in Toulouse, France, was established with a total investment of approximately €150 million ($180 million). It houses the J POD technology acquired through the acquisition of Just.Bio for $90 million in May 2019. J POD uses small, automated, highly intensified and continuous bioprocessing operations housed inside autonomous cleanrooms.

“The facility will be opened this September,” and “the construction benefits from French government funding [...] and is also supported economically by the Occitanie region,” the spokesperson added.

According to the firm, Sandoz will potentially add more biosimilars to its development pipeline. The firm has one of the largest biosimilar portfolios, with eight commercialized products and at least seven products in its pipeline developed both in-house and in collaboration with industry.

“Based on the strong scientific progress that we have made in the existing partnership both partners decided to not only extend the portfolio but also secure important commercials manufacturing capacity from Just-Evotec’s brand new Toulouse facility. The J POD II will supply antibodies to millions of patients in need. We are very proud to open the facility mid-to-end of this year,” Philip Boehme, EVP, Just-Evotec said in a video posted on LinkedIn.

Signed in May 2023, the partnership gave Sandoz access to Just-Evotec's manufacturing technology – including continuous processes – for its biosimilar pipeline. Previously a part of Novartis, Sandoz had said it was looking to add at least another nine biosimilar to its pipeline with Just-Evotec's support.

During its Q1 financial call for 2024, Evotec introduced a new reporting segment for its CDMO unit Just-Evotec Biologics. The unit pulled in €54 million, representing over a third of Evotec’s business.

The Seattle-based CDMO expanded its partnership with Advanced BioScience Laboratories to serve the US Government and biopharmaceutical industry in February 2024. In April 2024, the firm collaborated with Variant Bio to research and develop fibrosis treatments. This was followed by Bayer and Evotec renewing their 12-year partnership to advance precision cardiology using human induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs). Recently, the firm received a $39 million grant from the US Department of Defense (DOD) under its manufacturing optimization program.