Global biopharmaceutical company Allergan has opened a new €160m state-of-the-art facility at its Westport campus.
Global biopharma company Allergan has officially opened its new €160m biologics facility in Westport, Co Mayo. The company will be hiring for 63 new roles at the site to support development of its flagship products, including botox.
The new facility, which brings Allergan’s overall investment in Ireland to date to €750m, will include manufacturing suites and a microbiology and cell-based lab.
The pharma company is headquartered in Ireland and operates four facilities here. This includes two manufacturing operations – one in Clonshaugh, Dublin, and one in Westport – as well as an international supply chain office on Dublin’s Earlsfort Terrace, and a facility in Galway from its acquisition of Zeltiq in April 2017.
The opening of the new facility was attended by Minister for Rural and Community Development Michael Ring, TD, who commented on the “remarkably positive impact” the company has had on the region.
“Allergan’s further expansion is a vote of confidence in Mayo and the west,” he said. “Allergan is a fantastic employer and it’s great to see it further cement its presence here in Westport.
“Speaking as someone from Westport, Allergan has had a remarkably positive impact on the town and on the region. This announcement is further evidence of how the west can provide a wonderful environment for investors and employers.”
‘Ireland is an outstanding country for investment’
Executive vice-president of global operations at Allergan, Wayne Swanton, said: “The sensitivity of biologics in the manufacturing process is like no other. It requires a level of exactness in manufacturing and handling throughout the whole supply chain around the world, which is truly unique.
“That journey starts here in Westport, on the west coast of Ireland, with a team of over 1,300 passionate and highly skilled people who have been integral to growing our products to the scale we see today and delivering impact for patients.”
“We continue to believe Ireland is an outstanding country for investment and expansion for all our products that are manufactured here in Westport. Ireland has made education, training and investment in its biopharma workforce a priority.”
Allergan is set to merge with US pharma giant AbbVie in a $63bn deal.
