US-based filtration, separation and purification specialist Pall Corporation, announced on 12 September 2018 a strategic partnership between its Pall Biotech business unit and US-based Aetos Biologics, a biosimilar cell-line development company.

The collaboration between the companies aims to offer biosimilar manufacturing solutions to the global biosimilars market. Pall Biotech will provide access to next-generation bioprocess equipment, such as the Allegro STR Single-use Stirred Tank Bioreactor for good manufacturing practice (GMP) manufacturing, and consumables to enable efficient biosimilar production. Aetos Biologics will provide high quality/high-titre cell lines and scalable manufacturing processes.

Separately, Iceland-based biopharmaceutical company Alvotech announced on 26 September 2018 that it was entering into a joint venture with China-based CCHN which will enable Alvotech to develop, manufacture and commercialize its biosimilar portfolio in China.

The deal includes construction of a jointly-owned facility, which is expected to start in the first half of 2019. Under the terms of the agreement, CCHN will fund the joint venture with US$100 million while Alvotech will contribute additional capital and six drug market authorizations for its monoclonal antibodies, valued at US$100 million.

Robert Wessman, Alvotech’s founder said that ‘the partnership forms a leading biosimilar force in China’ and gives Alvotech ‘access to the second largest and fastest growing pharma market in the world an important step given our goal of becoming a leading company for biosimilars in the Chinese market’.

Back in December 2013, the company invested US$250 million to build a plant in Reykjavik for the development and manufacture of a portfolio of biosimilar monoclonal antibodies [1]. The plant opened in June 2016. Alvotech also made a deal with US-based bio-process management company Finesse Solutions (Finesse) in March 2014 for bio-manufacturing [2].

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References
1. GaBI Online - Generics and Biosimilars Initiative. Alvotech invests US$250 million in biosimilars [www.gabionline.net]. Mol, Belgium: Pro Pharma Communications International; [cited 2018 Oct 20]. Available from: www.gabionline.net/Biosimilars/News/Alvotech-invests-US-250-million-in-biosimilars
2. GaBI Online - Generics and Biosimilars Initiative. Alvotech and Finesse enter into biosimilars collaboration [www.gabionline.net]. Mol, Belgium: Pro Pharma Communications International; [cited 2018 Oct 20]. Available from: www.gabionline.net/Biosimilars/News/Alvotech-and-Finesse-enter-into-biosimilars-collaboration

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