Fresenius has announced that it has entered an exclusive development agreement with WuXi Biologics, a contract organisation for research, development and manufacturing. The agreement gives Fresenius exclusive access to up to 37 identified biosimilar candidates over the next decade.
The next-generation portfolio is expected to span 13 therapeutic areas, including expanding into neurology, nephrology and cardiopulmonary, while further strengthening Fresenius’ established positions in oncology, immunology and gastroenterology.
It will encompass multiple biologic technologies, including monoclonal and bispecific antibodies, antibody-drug conjugates and fusion proteins. Initial development is expected to focus on polatuzumab vedotin, an antibody-drug conjugate for the treatment of diffuse large B-cell lymphoma, and teprotumumab, a monoclonal antibody for the treatment of thyroid eye disease.
The agreement significantly expands and accelerates Fresenius’ biosimilars pipeline while preserving strategic flexibility and disciplined capital allocation. It provides access to a scalable pathway to increase the portfolio from 29 marketed and pipeline molecules to up to 66 molecules, addressing more than €370bn in originator list-price-based-sales, extending biopharma growth in the long term beyond its 2030 ambition.
Michael Sen, CEO of Fresenius, said: “With this agreement, we are gaining access to development capabilities in a market where speed and scale are of the essence. It provides a disciplined, scalable way to potentially triple our portfolio while retaining economic ownership, strategic control and the flexibility to allocate capital to the most compelling opportunities.”
WuXi Biologics brings proven large-scale biologics development and manufacturing capability, a track record across monoclonal and bispecific antibodies and antibody-drug conjugates, and a worldwide network spanning Europe, the US, China and Singapore.
Development programmes will be selected and advanced against Fresenius’ established selection criteria, based on market attractiveness, development risk and expected returns. Fresenius will hold exclusive global commercialisation rights, including marketing authorisations and the full economics of each commercialised product under the agreement.