Sandoz, the world’s largest maker of biosimilars and generics, is deepening its pipeline with a deal worth up to $322 million to license as many as 10 biosimilars from China’s Shanghai Henlius Biotech.
Under the agreement, Henlius develops and manufactures the biosimilars while Sandoz commercialises them globally, excluding China. Near-term payments for the initial assets total up to $100.5 million, with the remainder tied to milestones.
What’s in the portfolio
The initial assets reference several blockbuster biologics:
- A cetuximab biosimilar (referencing Erbitux, used in colorectal cancer; about $1.7 billion in 2025 global sales)
- An evolocumab biosimilar (referencing Amgen’s cholesterol-lowering Repatha)
- A belimumab biosimilar (referencing GSK’s lupus drug Benlysta)
- A recombinant human hyaluronidase in technical development to enable subcutaneous delivery
The deal expands Sandoz’s biosimilar pipeline from 39 to potentially 46 assets.
Why it matters
The industry faces “one of the largest ongoing patent cliffs in its history,” with the share of global drug sales under patent protection projected to fall from about 12% in 2022 to 4% by 2030. Biosimilars — lower-cost copies of complex biologic drugs — are how companies like Sandoz aim to capture that opening. “Expanding access to life-enhancing medicines for patients around the world lies at the heart of everything we do,” said Sandoz CEO Richard Saynor.