Dunboyne biologics manufacturing plant. Image: MSD
MSD has agreed to purchase Takeda’s state-of-the art biologics plant in Meath and hopes to retain the site’s 200 employees.
On Friday (7 August), MSD announced plans to acquire the Takeda manufacturing plant in Dunboyne, Co Meath.
This deal would bring the total number of MSD sites in Ireland to six and the company hopes to retain all 200 employees at the Dunboyne plant as part of the transfer. The company said that it is in consultation with staff and expects this process to be complete in mid-September.
MSD’s Sanat Chattopadhyay said the facility will support the commercialisation of its existing and future product pipeline, and that the talent of the current team at Dunboyne was a “determining factor” in the decision to acquire the facility.
“We look forward to welcoming our new colleagues to the broader MSD Ireland network, building on the progress they have made to date and, together, realising the potential of this facility for the benefit of patients in Ireland and globally,” he said.
The $400m plant was first announced by biotech company Shire in 2016, before the company was taken over by Takeda in 2018 in a major acquisition.
In January 2020, Takeda announced its intention to divest its Dunboyne facility following a strategic review of the company’s global biologics manufacturing network, which showed that production capacity at the Dunboyne plant would no longer be required.
Takeda Dunboyne Biologics site lead, Susan Hynes, said the announcement “demonstrates the confidence that MSD has” in the facility, its capabilities and its culture. “As we prepare for our long-term future in Dunboyne, we also look forward to further strengthening the close relationship the team already has with the local community,” she said.
IDA Ireland assisted Takeda in marketing the Dunboyne facility since the company announced its intention to sell. The agency’s CEO, Martin Shanahan, said news of the MSD deal is “very welcome”.
“MSD is a leading global pharmaceutical company with a long track record of successful operations in Ireland,” he said. “This acquisition will allow MSD to further develop the site and secure the employment of Takeda’s existing staff. It is an excellent outcome.”
