Pfizer Spending $1.2 Billion to Expand Dublin Plant

Written by Martin Lynch, European News Editor for Industrial Info (Galway, Ireland)--Pharmaceutical major Pfizer Incorporated (NYSE:PFE) is investing 1.2 billion euro (US$1.27 billion) at its Grange Castle manufacturing site in Dublin, Ireland.

It is the company's largest investment in its Irish operations since it first set up operations in Ireland more than 50 years ago. A new facility will be built at Grange Castle that will double the capacity for biological drug substance manufacturing as well adding another 400-500 employees to its Irish workforce of roughly 4,500. The project is currently in the preliminary design phase, with construction expected to commence onsite in 2024 before final commissioning in 2027. The investment will enable the site to produce licensed and pipeline products that cover oncology, rare disease, inflammation and immunology, and internal medicines.

The investment comes a year after the company spent 40 million euro (US$42.4 million) to allow Grange Castle to produce its COVID-19 vaccine. Grange Castle, in addition to Pfizer's other Irish manufacturing sites in Newbridge, County Kildare, and Ringaskiddy, County Cork, manufacture medicines and vaccines in the areas of arthritis, inflammation, cancer, anti-infectives, hemophilia, pain and stroke.

The major investment was welcomed by Ireland's An Taoiseach Micheál Martin: "This is a really significant investment and jobs announcement by Pfizer--its biggest ever expansion in Ireland--and a considerable vote of confidence in the talent of our workforce, and our economy. Pfizer has played an instrumental role during the pandemic. It is pleasing to see just how much scientific progress has been made over the last number of years, and I have no doubt that Ireland will continue to be at the forefront of scientific innovation."

Mike McDermott, chief global supply officer for Pfizer added: "We are very pleased about today's announcement, as it significantly strengthens our operations in Ireland, where we have three high-performing and strategic manufacturing sites. Grange Castle has played a critical role in our global COVID-19 vaccine network, and this investment for non-COVID licensed and pipeline products, will help to further expand the site's broad and robust capabilities."

Ireland has benefitted from a steady stream of significant investments by global pharmaceutical and biotech firms in recent months. Industrial Info is tracking fresh investment by MSD Ireland (Dublin, Ireland), part of Merck & Co. (NYSE:MRK) (Rathway, New Jersey), AbbVie (NYSE:ABBV) (North Chicago, Illinois), Ipsen (Paris, France) and MeiraGTx (NYSE:MGTX) (New York, New York). For additional information, see September 14, 2022, article - MSD Ireland To Build New Biologics Plant in Carlow and October 5, 2022, article - Ireland's Pharma Sector Boosted by New Investments.

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