New documents filed to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) reveal that Pfizer will undertake a major expansion of its Grange Castle facility in Dublin, creating up to 350 jobs.
While its efforts to merge with Allergan as part of a $160bn merger were scuppered earlier this year, Pfizer is planning to expand its operations in Ireland considerably, starting with its Grange Castle facility in Dublin.
According to The Irish Times, the company has filed an environmental impact statement (EIS) for a two-phase expansion at the facility which will see it add a further 34,500 square metres in total as part of an investment worth at least €300m.
Expected to take just over two years to build, the construction on the site is likely to begin sometime next year. Over 200 permanent staff are expected to move into the facility following the completion of the first phase, followed by a further 100 after the second.
Open in 2020
The EIS documents show that the facility is particularly focused on the production of one drug, Enbrel, currently used to treat five chronic autoimmune conditions including psoriatic arthritis and rheumatoid arthritis.
Increasing its Enbrel production by 50pc, the facility is also expected to contribute to the manufacture of other Pfizer drugs, but on a smaller scale.
The documents also outline plans for production and R&D activities on the site at some later point, while the pharmaceutical company has taken “emerging needs” into consideration such, as further manufacturing facilities.
While these are very early days in terms of filing EIS documents, the facility is expected to begin operations at some point in 2020, pending regulatory approval.
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Pfizer sign image via StockStudio/Shutterstock
