Sanofi to Invest €40M to Expand Production of Thymoglobulin and Diabetes Drug Tzield at France Site

Sanofi has announced a €40 million ($42.46 million) investment to enhance its biomanufacturing capabilities at the Lyon Gerland site in France.

The initiative aims to bolster the production of Thymoglobulin (antithymocyte globulin [rabbit]), a treatment for kidney transplant rejection, and to localize the manufacturing of type 1 diabetes therapy Tzield (teplizumab).

Sanofi says its Lyon Gerland facility is the exclusive producer of Thymoglobulin, manufacturing around 1.6 million vials annually to treat approximately 70,000 patients worldwide across 74 countries.

In a news release (in French) announcing the investment, Sanofi shared that €25 million ($26.54 million) will be dedicated to the production and development of a second-generation Thymoglobulin.

And over €15 million ($15.92 million) of the investment package will go towards internalizing and localizing the production of monoclonal antibodies for Tzield in France.

Sanofi also intends to establish a new bioproduction zone for its CD3-directed monoclonal antibody Tzield at its Lyon Gerland site. According to the company’s announcement, the type 1 diabetes drug was previously produced outside the European Union (EU) by an independent manufacturer.

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Approved by the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in 2022 to delay the progression of type 1 diabetes, Sanofi received Tzield in its $2.9 billion acquisition of Provention Bio, which was completed in early 2023.

In January 2023, shortly before Sanofi completed its acquisition of Provention Bio, Provention partnered with AGC Biologics for the commercial manufacturing of Tzield.

For Thymoglobulin, Sanofi said to meet growing global demand from the increasing number of transplant patients, the company has developed a new manufacturing process that will boost production capacity, ensure a reliable supply and further reduce the product’s environmental impact.

The company said modernization work began in the summer of 2024, with the first industrial batches expected in 2025 and the first commercial batches available by 2027.

Production of the drug will continue in the meantime and in parallel using the current process, ensuring availability for patients, the company said.

Related: Eli Lilly’s Tirzepatide Shows Promise for Keeping Prediabetic Patients Diabetes-Free

This most recent investment aligns with Sanofi’s overarching plans to strengthen its biomanufacturing infrastructure in France and Europe.

In May, the company announced a €1 billion ($1.06 billion) investment to build a new facility in Vitry-sur-Seine, France that will allow for the doubling of monoclonal antibody production. The new manufacturing plant will lead to the creation of 350 new jobs.

At the same time, Sanofi budgeted €100 million ($108 million) to expand its Le Trait facility in Normandy, which produces the anti-inflammatory blockbuster Dupixent (dupilumab).

It also allotted €10 million ($10.8 million) to enhance Tzield production at the Lyon Gerland site.

In August, Sanofi unveiled plans for a €1.3 billion ($1.38 billion) insulin manufacturing facility at its Frankfurt Höchst campus in Germany. Slated for completion by 2029, the new plant is expected to employ several hundred additional staff, adding to the more than 4,000 already working at the campus.

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