Regeneron to invest $350 million, create 200 jobs in Ireland
pharmafile | October 19, 2015 | News story | Manufacturing and Production, Research and Development |
US pharma company Regeneron has announced plans to invest $350 million into its production facility in Limerick, Ireland, creating 200 extra jobs by the end of 2017.
The 400,000 square-foot Industrial Operations and Product Supply (IOPS) bioprocessing campus site at Raheen will be largest capacity biopharmaceutical production facility in Ireland Limerick, Ireland, bringing the company’s total investment to $650 million and taking its jobs created to 500.
The company acquired the former Dell Computer facility in Limerick and achieved planning approval in April 2014 for its first IOPS site outside of the United States.
When the investment was initially announced in December 2013, a $300 million investment with 300 jobs was planned for delivery by the end of 2016, but Regeneron now intends to go further and create the largest-scale bulk biologics production facility in Ireland to support its burgeoning portfolio and pipeline.
Recruitment is underway to bring on additional full-time, high-end specialist jobs in commercial manufacturing, process sciences, quality assurance/control and various support functions for scientists, chemists and technicians.
Leonard Schleifer, president and chief executive officer of Regeneron, says: “With a growing portfolio of marketed medicines and an innovative pipeline rooted in cutting-edge science and technology, Regeneron is one of the fastest-growing global biopharmaceutical companies.
“The Limerick facility will play an essential role in ensuring Regeneron delivers on our mission to consistently and repeatedly bring new medicines to patients with serious diseases.”
Dan Van Plew, senior vice president and general manager of IOPS at Regeneron, adds: “The entire community has gone out of its way to welcome us and help us create the momentum we need to build this site. Our people – your countrymen – have done something remarkable. In less than two years we have brought a dormant building back to life, and are well on our way to building a complex, high-quality facility in industry-leading time.
Regeneron has been ranked the number one employer in the biopharma industry by Science Magazine, while Forbes Magazine named it the world’s fourth most innovative company.
Joel Levy
