Looking ahead on manufacturing and supply-related issues in 2024, respondents told Scrip to expect companies to bring their supply chains closer to home, improvements for delivery of cell and gene therapies, a focus by contract manufacturers and developers on sustainability and continued emphasis on access to critical drugs.

After earlier this year revealing that it had dropped a collaboration with BiosanaPharma on a biosimilar omalizumab rival to Xolair, Alvotech has now announced a fresh licensing deal for development and commercialization of a version from Kashiv BioSciences.

In a busy week for Alvotech, the firm has announced an expansion of its partnership with Advanz to cover five further European biosimilars, at the same time as revealing two new pipeline assets. Meanwhile, the company has also dropped three products from an existing European partnership with Stada and has also terminated a development deal with BiosanaPharma.

Benoit Opsomer, vice-president and head of bioprocessing, Asia Pacific, Merck Life Science, explains how recent targeted CDMO buyouts put the German group in pole position with services across the mRNA value chain, even as it supports global players such as BioNTech. Striking multi-country expansion of manufacturing footprint, including in China, is also underway amid rising demand for biopharma single-use assemblies.