Teva And Lonza Join For Biosimilars

Israeli generic drug firm Teva Pharmaceutical Industries and Swiss custom manufacturer Lonza are establishing a joint venture to develop, manufacture, and market biosimilars—generic equivalents to biologic drugs. The nascent biosimilars market is being pursued by generics firms focused on small-molecule drugs and by big pharma companies such as AstraZeneca and Merck & Co. (C&EN, Jan. 12, page 28). "We had identified biosimilars as a major growth driver in our long-term strategy," Teva CEO Shlomo Yanai says. Lonza is one of the world's largest operators of the fermentation vessels needed to manufacture biologic drugs. "The field of biosimilars is a natural extension of Lonza's existing life sciences portfolio and represents the next strategic step for the company," CEO Stefan Borgas says.