South Korean biopharmaceutical company Samsung Bioepis Co Ltd on Wednesday announced a global development and commercialisation agreement with Sandoz Group AG (SIX:SDZ), a generics and biosimilars company based in Switzerland.

The agreement covers up to five biosimilar candidates, including SB36, a biosimilar referencing Takeda Pharmaceuticals' Entyvio (vedolizumab).

Samsung Bioepis will be responsible for development, regulatory registration in key markets, and manufacturing, while Sandoz will handle commercialisation in global markets excluding China, Hong Kong, Taiwan, Macau, and South Korea. SB36 is in preclinical development and targets indications including Crohn's disease, ulcerative colitis, and pouchitis.

The deal builds on the companies' prior collaborations for Pyzchiva (ustekinumab), launched in Europe in July 2024 and the US in February 2025, and Epysqli, a biosimilar to Alexion Pharmaceuticals' Soliris (eculizumab), for the Middle East and Africa region.

Samsung Bioepis aims to advance its biosimilar pipeline across immunology and oncology to improve global access to life-changing medicines.