Biopharmaceutical firm Gilead Sciences Ireland has today opened a new quality control laboratory at its Carrigtwohill plant in Cork after a €9.5m investment.
The new laboratory is an extension of the current quality control facility and is designed to increase solid oral drug production for Europe, the Middle East and Asia.
The Carrigtwohill plant handles manufacturing, quality control, packaging and distribution of medicines for areas of "unmet medical needs", including HIV/AIDS and liver disease.
Gilead has invested more than €191m in Ireland so far, including €20m in capital expenditure in 2017. It has an Irish workforce of more than 500 people across four operations, including 390 people in Carrigtwohill.
The company first established its Irish operations in 1999.
"During the last five years, manufacturing of 11 Gilead products has been transferred to the Carrigtwohill plant resulting in a significant increase in quality control testing requirements," said David Cadogan, Vice President, Manufacturing Operations, Gilead Sciences.
"We are delighted to launch this significant expansion, which will have a positive impact on the production of vital medicines for hundreds of thousands of patients around the world. This investment also demonstrates Gilead’s ongoing commitment to developing its operations in Ireland," he said.
