Sandoz has struck a deal worth up to $500m for GlaxoSmithKline’s cephalosporin antibiotics business, in a move that the Novartis subsidiary says will reinforce its leadership position in the field.

J&J’s bullish outlook for 2021, robust fourth quarter and frequent guidance revisions in uncertain times contrasted with Novartis’s reticence.

Sandoz is benefiting from its focus on a “pure play” generics and biosimilars model that is unique among its peers, CEO Richard Saynor tells Generics Bulletin in an exclusive interview.

Despite the turbulence of 2020 and the pressures of the coronavirus pandemic, Sandoz has reported steady sales for the year, as biopharmaceuticals sales up by a fifth offset a slide in turnover from retail generics.