MSD allays Irish fears with €280m expansion investment
pharmafile | May 31, 2017 | News story | Manufacturing and Production, Research and Development | Ireland, MSD
There were fears in Ireland that President Trump’s strong words to bring manufacturing back to the US would hurt the Irish economy, as US headquartered companies paused operations to determine whether they would have to scale back investment. MSD’s pause, in particular, has now come to an end with a committed of €280 million and the creation of 330 new roles across two sites in Ireland.
The increase in the number of people that MSD, known as Merck in North America, employs brings the total figure to 1,900 across the country. In particular, it will see 210 of the new roles created at its manufacturing plant in Brinny, Cork. The Brinny facility manufactures biologic drugs, specialising in the fermentation, purification and sterile filling of products,
The further 120 positions will be at another manufacturing facility in Carlow that is a vaccine and biologics plant producing immune-oncology treatments, including the major immunotherapy drug Keytruda.
Jobs Minister, Mary Mitchell O’Connor, said “MSD has been at the cutting edge of biopharmaceutical innovation over recent years and their Irish operations are at the heart of many of the company’s exciting new products. It is particularly gratifying that this expansion and additional job creation will take place in two regional locations, thereby strengthening the Government’s efforts to ensure balanced industrial development around the country”.
The development should serve to allay fears that Ireland would face a struggle to hold onto US business but the move by MSD suggests that pressure from Trump is no longer thought to be of immediate danger to business.
MSD executive vice president, Sanat Chattopadhyay, said of the further investment in Ireland: “In recent years our Irish businesses have played an increasingly important role in the production of some of MSD’s most important breakthrough medicines for the global market.”
Ben Hargreaves
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