Fresenius and WuXi Biologics will work together to develop up to 37 biosimilar candidates targeting a range of therapeutic areas, giving the German company ample scope to bolster its pipeline.
The exclusive development agreement will give Fresenius access to potential first-to-market candidates over the next decade that address more than €370bn ($415bn) in originator sales, the deal claims. Financial terms of the deal, which the companies say is the largest ever biosimilar-related development in history, were not disclosed.
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According to Fresenius, working with contract research, development, and manufacturing organisation (CRDMO) WuXi could increase its portfolio from today’s total of 29 marketed and pipeline molecules to as many as 66 in the future. The next-generation portfolio is expected to span 13 therapeutic areas, including expanding into neurology, nephrology and cardiopulmonary. In terms of modalities, the deal includes monoclonal and bispecific antibodies, antibody-drug conjugates and fusion proteins.
Fresenius will consider market attractiveness, development risk, and expected returns when deciding which assets will be selected. The company will hold exclusive global commercialisation rights, including marketing authorisations, and the full economics of each commercialised product under the agreement.
Michael Sen, Fresenius CEO, said: “We are doubling down on our biopharma business. 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.”
The agreement follows Fresenius’ takeover worth up to €750m of biopharmaceutical company mAbxience in October 2026. Via the deal, Fresenius gained three good manufacturing practices (GMP)-approved manufacturing facilities across Europe and South America. Though the long-term manufacturing strategy will be determined on a candidate-by-candidate basis, the mAbxience network is likely to be leveraged.
For Fresenius, the agreement aligns with a targeted R&D uptick. The company is aiming to double its biopharma revenue by 2030 compared to 2025 levels, with a pipeline expansion key in achieving that.
The pharma industry is currently experiencing one of its largest ever patent cliffs. Some of the top-selling prescription drugs in the world will soon be competing with generics or biosimilars. Sandoz is also targeting a pipeline expansion, recently announcing an ambitious growth strategy that could see the manufacturer harbour more than 100 biosimilars in its portfolio by 2040.
China ties deepen
In a wider industry context, the deal marks the latest in a long line of partnerships between Western companies and Chinese drug developers.
Licensing deals between US and Chinese biopharma companies hit record highs in 2024, a 280% increase from 2020, according to analysis by GlobalData, parent company of Pharmaceutical Technology. Further GlobalData analysis has found that the top 20 deals in China since 2024 were worth a total of $85.6bn, with more than 20% of those deals occurring in H1 2026. However, most high-profile deals revolve around innovator drugs.
Some international relationships are hitting choppy waters. American partnerships and investments into Chinese pharma companies have come under scrutiny from the US Government amid a national security policy drive.
WuXi Biologics is separate from WuXi AppTec, with the latter, which is one of the largest CRDMO’s in the world, having been designated as a Chinese military company by the US Department of Defense earlier this year. A federal judge has since issued a preliminary injunction blocking the Pentagon from enforcing the designation.
