Expansion by Botox maker firms up pharma giant’s commitment to Ireland.
Pharma company Allergan is to invest €65m in two of its four Irish facilities, generating 63 new jobs in Westport, Co Mayo.
The expansion will bring Allergan’s total headcount in Ireland to more than 2,000 people.
‘We are proud that 40 years on we are still growing and offering valuable employment opportunities in key regions of Ireland’
– PAUL COFFEY
Allergan has four plants in Ireland: two in Dublin, one in Mayo and one in Galway.
Into the west
The Westport campus is the largest and most complex plant in the company’s network and includes a pharmaceutical facility, two biologics plants, and an ocular implant facility. It is responsible for the global supply of Botox.
The investment in Westport focuses on two new manufacturing suites in its biologics facility to provide the capability to introduce new product formats for one of Allergan’s flagship products and the launch of a new product currently in development, as well as the completion of a new state-of-the-art microbiology and cell-based laboratory. The completion of the new biologics facility – which represents a total investment of more than €140m – is in the final stages of qualification and regulatory approval before commencing commercial production.
Investment at the Clonshaugh facility in Dublin, which encompasses two manufacturing facilities and the plc head office, will focus on expanding specialised manufacturing capability for new product development and the launch of new solid dose products currently in development.
“Continued investment of this scale builds on the €50m investment programme in 2018 and €42m in 2017, which allows us to apply world-class technology to Allergan’s leading innovation and product development strategy,” said Paul Coffey, vice-president and plant general manager at Allergan Westport.
Coffey said that the company is expanding to meet global demand and is advancing its R&D capabilities to meet the future needs of the business. “We are proud that 40 years on we are still growing and offering valuable employment opportunities in key regions of Ireland,” said Coffey.
An Taoiseach Leo Varadkar, TD, said the expansion reinforces Mayo’s reputation as a location for investment and innovation. “It is further evidence of the confidence international companies like Allergan continue to have in Ireland.”
An EY-DKM Economic Impact Assessment of Allergan’s operations in Ireland indicates that this 2019 capital investment programme will contribute €23m to Ireland’s GDP this year and deliver €7m in exchequer revenue. In 2018, Allergan generated a GDP impact of €308m and supported 3,485 jobs in Ireland’s economy, generating exchequer revenue of €76m.
“This latest €65m investment brings Allergan’s total investment in Ireland to in excess of €670m, which is a considerable vote of confidence in Ireland as a place to do business and in the IDA’s regional development strategy,” said IDA Ireland CEO Martin Shanahan.
“With a 40-year heritage in Ireland, Allergan’s broad geographical footprint in Ireland is a great example for other pharmaceutical firms considering locating here.”
Overall, Ireland’s prowess at pharma and life sciences is one of the untold stories of the country’s economic rise. In the last 10 years, more than €10bn has been invested in expanding pharmaceutical companies in Ireland, and more than 30,000 people are employed in the sector. In 2015 the biopharma sector recorded €39bn worth of exports, and it contributes around €1bn in corporation tax to the Irish economy every year.
Updated, 9.21am, 29 April 2019: This article was amended to remove references to Dublin jobs and clarify that the 63 new Allergan roles are for its Westport facility.
