Pfizer: Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment Micheál Martin TD today announced that Pfizer, the world’s largest pharmaceutical company, is to invest €190 million, with the support of IDA Ireland, for the establishment of a biologics facility at Shanbally, Co. Cork. The new plant will create approximately 100 "high quality" Pfizer jobs over three years. In addition, the investment will result in up to 500 construction and service jobs during the peak of building activity.
Martin said that "the investment is a key milestone in realising Pfizer’s corporate ambition to become a global leader in the Biotherapeutics space." The company is aiming to establish a top-5 global position in the next 8 years, where biologic products would account for greater than 20% of revenues and pipeline. The Irish facility will become a centre-of-excellence for process development and production of small scale quantities of Pfizer Global Research & Development products entering into phase 2 and 3 clinical trials. It will be located on a 30 acre site adjacent to Pfizer’s existing facility in Ringaskiddy, and will be completed and fully commissioned by the end of 2009.
Martin, welcoming the investment, said “This is a strategically important development for Pfizer as it is the first time it has placed its internal biopharmaceutical clinical production and process development activities outside of the US. Pfizer has made a tremendous contribution to Ireland’s Life Sciences industry since it established here in 1970 and this investment is a further demonstration of the company’s continuous commitment to Ireland. The decision to place such a sophisticated and technologically advanced operation here is a significant endorsement of Ireland’s wealth of talent and expertise.”
“The success of Pfizer’s operations here has placed Ireland in the enviable position of winning this much sought after investment against strong competition internationally, particularly as it will be instrumental in making Pfizer a leader in the global biologics industry. I congratulate the management and workforce at all of Pfizer’s existing Irish operations for this outcome,” added Martin.
Nat Ricciardi, Pfizer Global Manufacturing, commented, “Pfizer is positioning itself to become a global leader in biologics. We have been implementing an aggressive strategy to grow our biologics portfolio seeking candidates in many therapeutic areas - of the 14 major product deals entered by Pfizer in 2007, six were biotherapeutic transactions.
“This new Cork facility is an important part of our biologics strategy and complements our establishment of a Biotherapeutics and Bioinnovation Centre (BBC) division in late 2007. The BBC model is a federation of small biotech units which combines the best of both the pharmaceutical and biotech industries. Our aim is to gain access to the best science inside and outside our walls, and the new Shanbally facility will ensure that we can produce the product for clinical trials which could ultimately impact the lives of millions of patients.
“We chose Cork for this investment because of our very positive experiences in the region over many years and we are confident that its implementation will be seamless and that the innovative and highly skilled people we need will be there for us”.
Biologics or biotherapeutics are large-molecule medicines based on proteins, peptides and antibodies that primarily come from molecular biology developments. They must be manufactured in highly specialised and sophisticated processing plants, adhering to strict production processes. Pfizer has a strong biotherapeutics pipeline, with 86 projects in discovery and 26 in preclinical/clinical development, spanning over 8 therapeutic areas. Potential therapies in oncology, chronic pain, diabetes and auto-immune diseases are envisaged for manufacture at the new Cork facility.
