Posted on about 2 years ago by Laurentina Kennedy
AstraZeneca's Alexion to invest €65m in Irish operations
AstraZeneca's Rare Disease group, Alexion, is investing €65m in new and enhanced capabilities across its sites in College Park in Blanchardstown and Monksland Industrial Park in Athlone.
Alexion's new programme will centre on three investments.
These are the installation of new drug substance production equipment and warehousing facilities to support ambient and cold storage at both sites in College Park and Athlone as well as the building of a manufacturing sciences and technology lab at College Park.
The company said the equipment and warehouse facility in each site will expand Alexion's drug substance production capabilities in Ireland.
The new technology lab will facilitate scaling up of biologics drug substance manufacturing in Ireland, it added.
The new development programme comes after last year's announcement to build a next generation active pharmaceutical ingredient facility at AstraZeneca’s College Park campus.
Marc Dunoyer, CEO of Alexion, said that Ireland is becoming an increasingly critical global hub for AstraZeneca operations.
He said the new investment will support the continued growth of the company's portfolio of medicines and meet its needs for expansion.
"This investment will allow for new capabilities for AstraZeneca in Ireland and support our global ambition to accelerate the development and delivery of life-changing medicines for more people affected by rare diseases," he added.
Tánaiste and Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment Leo Varadkar said the €65m investment by Alexion is a testament to the talent and skills we have in Blanchardstown and Athlone.
"It's also great for our research bodies and will make a major contribution to the overall expertise we have based here," he added.
Minister for Trade Promotion, Digital and Company Regulation Robert Troy said today's news further cements Ireland's reputation as a global centre of excellence for life sciences.
Martin Shanahan, CEO of IDA Ireland said that Ireland's ambition is to be at the forefront of driving the future of biopharma.
"Today's announcement to continue to increase Alexion capabilities in Ireland further demonstrates the company’s commitment to the rich life science ecosystem Ireland has to offer," the IDA CEO said.
"The future of biopharmaceuticals lies in R&D and manufacturing opportunities, growth in advanced therapeutics, building employment opportunities in specialised roles and a commitment to a patient-centric, partnership approach," he added.