Lonza And Sartorius Stedim Biotech Enter Collaboration, Supply And Distribution Agreement In The Field Of Cell Culture Media

• Sartorius Stedim Biotech assumes global sales and marketing of media and buffer solutions for biopharmaceutical manufacturing
• Lonza will continue to manufacture all media products 

Lonza recently announced together with Sartorius Stedim Biotech (SSB), a leading international pharmaceutical and biotech supplier, a long-term global collaboration, supply and distribution agreement in the field of cell culture media. Cell culture media are growth substances and nutrients for cells or microorganisms and are required in every biopharmaceutical manufacturing process. 

In the agreement, SSB will assume global sales and marketing of media and buffers used in the manufacture of protein-based therapeutics and vaccines, while Lonza will continue to carry out development, manufacture and logistics operations for these products. New product development will be mutually performed. The cell culture media, which are usually sold in liquid or powder form to biopharmaceutical customers, are to be successively converted to packaged forms as ready-to-use, pre-filled SSB sterile single-use bags. Furthermore, Lonza and SSB have agreed that these cell culture media will be sold under both brands in a co-branding arrangement. Lonza will maintain commercial responsibility for global sales and marketing of media used for research purposes and in the manufacture of cell-based therapeutics and gene therapy as well as for manufacturing for any of Lonza’s custom manufacturing customers. 

In fiscal year 2011, Lonza generated revenues of approximately CHF 25 million in the field of cell culture media. SSB will take over Lonza’s commercial team of about 15 media specialists. Both parties have agreed not to disclose contractual conditions. 

Lonza’s cell culture media represent a perfect fit with the portfolio of products supplied by Sartorius Stedim Biotech, which already offers bioreactors and single-use bags and containers as key components for cell cultivation. “I am very pleased that we will now be adding a market leading, high-quality array of media and buffers to our product offering,” commented SSB’s Member of the Board of Directors, Reinhard Vogt. “Just like our single-use bags and bioreactors, culture media are critical to the success of safe and efficient manufacture of drug materials. The demand for ready-to-use and innovative products is accordingly high. In the manufacture of biologicals, our customers will benefit from obtaining fully integrated single-use solutions for their entire cell culture process all from a single source.” 

“For Lonza this agreement provides great upside potential as it will allow us to capture additional value from our Media Business in the form of additional revenue leading to higher capacity utilization”, comments Lukas Utiger, COO of Lonza Bioscience. “Lonza and Sartorius are a great fit as both partners bring complementary strengths to the benefit of our customers.”  

About Sartorius Stedim Biotech
Sartorius Stedim Biotech is a leading provider of cutting-edge equipment and services for the development, quality assurance and production processes of the biopharmaceutical industry. Its integrated solutions covering fermentation, cell cultivation, filtration, purification, fluid management and lab technologies are supporting the biopharmaceutical industry around the world to develop and produce drugs safely, timely and economically. Sartorius Stedim Biotech focuses on single-use technologies and value-added services to meet the rapidly changing technology requirements of the industry it serves. Strongly rooted in the scientific community and closely allied with customers and technology partners, the company is dedicated to its philosophy of “turning science into solutions.” Headquartered in Aubagne, France, Sartorius Stedim Biotech is listed on the Eurolist of Euronext Paris. With its own manufacturing and R&D sites in Europe, North America and Asia and a global network of sales companies, Sartorius Stedim Biotech enjoys a worldwide presence. Its key manufacturing and R&D site is in Germany. The company employs approx. 2,850 people, and in 2011 earned sales revenue of 477.3 million euros.