Janssen Injecting $176 Million into Irish Biomedicines Plant

Written by Martin Lynch, European News Editor for Industrial Info (Galway, Ireland)--Johnson & Johnson (NYSE:JNJ) (New Brunswick, New Jersey) subsidiary Janssen Sciences Ireland is pumping 150 million euro (US$176 million) into expanding its manufacturing biomedicines facility in Ringaskiddy, County Cork.

The pharmaceutical and biotechnology company has submitted a planning application to Cork County Council to expand the facility by roughly 2,500 square meters, in a move that will create up to 180 jobs. The new investment follows a major injection of 300 million euro (US$354 million) on expanding the plant back in 2019. The so-called BioCork II expansion added 19,100 square meters (62,000 square feet) and 200 jobs at the time.

Janssen has been located at the 40-hectare Ringaskiddy site since 2005, producing biomedicines for both the treatment of immune related diseases and new and cancer treatments. A number of commercial products--all monoclonal antibodies--are currently manufactured there, along with a range of other products currently in development and undergoing clinical trials. These include Simponi (golimumab), Stelara (ustekinumab), Sylvant (siltuximab), Darzalex (daratumumab), and Tremfya (guselkumab).

The investment was welcomed by local councillor Seamus McGrath. "I think it's quite positive news," he told The Echo. "It's an endorsement in the area and in the facility there by the company to be investing a further 150 million euro after a significant investment only a short couple of years ago. I welcome the fact the company is quite open about it and invited residents in to see the proposals in advance of a planning application."

The core elements of the expansion will include the modification and expansion of the existing site infrastructure including utilities, car parking, underground services, and internal roads, yards, and pipe racks. Assuming planning permission is granted, Jannsen hopes to start work in the first quarter of next year with commissioning targeted for the summer of 2023.

Pharma company Novartis International AG (NYSE:NVS) (Basel, Switzerland) also has a major campus at Ringaskiddy but is downsizing its operations there. In late 2019, Industrial Info reported that the company was axing 320 jobs--more than half of the employees at its active pharmaceutical ingredient (API) manufacturing operation. The decision to consolidate its API manufacturing operations at the campus will result in the closure of one of its production buildings by mid-2022. For additional information, see November 4, 2019, article--Novartis Axing 320 Jobs at Irish Manufacturing Plant.

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