Pharmaceutical company GSK has opened a €12m ($14m) investment project at its manufacturing site in Cork, Ireland. The investment includes a €9.5m Kilo Scale Facility and a €2.5m Technical Development Laboratory. The Kilo Scale Facility will enable the site to manufacture specialised active ingredients for targeted oncology medicines, while the Technical Development Laboratory will enhance the company's current product portfolio. GSK has invested over €700m in the Cork site since 1974 and employs 450 people there. The company employs over 1,800 staff across four locations in Ireland.
GSK, one of the world’s leading research-based pharmaceutical and healthcare companies, has announced the opening of a €12m investment project at its Currabinny-based manufacturing site in Cork. The investments - a €9.5m Kilo Scale Facility and a €2.5m Technical Development Laboratory – were opened by Roger Connor, GSK’s Global Manufacturing Supply President and Joe Power, GSK Cork Site Director.
The new purpose-built Kilo Scale Facility will allow the site to begin manufacturing highly specialised active ingredients for newer, targeted oncology medicines while the new Technical Development Laboratory will further enhance its ability to improve its current product portfolio which includes treatments for diseases such as cancer, HIV and depression. GSK, who last year celebrated 40 years in Cork, employs 450 employees at the Cork site. The global healthcare company employs over 1,800 staff across four locations in Ireland. – Cork, Dublin, Waterford and Sligo.
Kevin O’Keefe, Head of Engineering at GSK Cork, commented, “Our new Kilo Scale Facility represents an important new opportunity for GSK in Cork, the plant will expand our operating scale to allow us introduce new targeted medicines that require highly specialised manufacturing equipment, this investment opens up new potential for Cork to produce these in the future.”
Joe Power, Site Director, commented, “This substantial investment demonstrates GSK’s strong commitment to our Cork site. It’s a wonderful endorsement of the world-class technical capability we have here and will work to attract new business for the operation. It will also be very rewarding for our employees, knowing the difference they will be making to patients all over the world who will ultimately take the medicines that started out here in Cork.”
GSK has now invested over €700m in the Cork site since its inception in 1974. Last year, GSK invested €30million in R&D in Ireland, which has contributed significantly to the company’s global success in scientific innovation.
About GSK in Ireland
GSK, one of the world’s leading research-based pharmaceutical and healthcare companies, employs 1,800 people across four locations in Ireland – Dungarvan, Cork, Sligo and Dublin. The company is committed to improving the quality of human life by enabling people to do more, feel better and live longer.
GSK in Dungarvan produces a variety of ‘over-the-counter’ pharmacy and oral care products including Panadol, Poligrip and NiQuitin. In fact 7.5 billion Panadol tablets are produced in Dungarvan each year – that’s 150 Panadol tablets a second! – and exported to over 70 countries worldwide. 50 Million NiQuitin patches are also produced in Dungarvan annually and exported around the world.
The Cork operation produces the active ingredients for a range of GSK products used to treat depression, diabetes, congestive heart failure, HIV, cancer, Parkinson’s disease and arthritis while the Sligo facility – Stiefel a GSK company - produces 30 million skin healthcare products annually including Oilatum and Physiogel. All of these high quality products are distributed through GSK’s global network.
The Pharmaceuticals and Consumer Healthcare Businesses, based in Dublin, provide a range of medicines, vaccines and consumer products to Irish people. In fact, one GSK vaccine is administered in Ireland every minute.
Last year, GSK invested €30million in R&D in Ireland, which has contributed significantly to the company’s global success in scientific innovation