Aerie Pharmaceuticals has announced that it has entered into a lease agreement with the Industrial Development Agency (IDA) of Ireland for a new manufacturing plant in Athlone, Ireland.
The company is a clinical-stage pharmaceutical company focused on the discovery, development and commercialisation of therapies for the treatment of glaucoma and other diseases of the eye.
The new manufacturing plant will be located in the Athlone Advance Technology Building shell. The building includes 30,000sqft of interior floor space.
The building was recently constructed by the IDA, the agency responsible for the attraction and development of foreign direct investment in Ireland.
Aerie has commenced equipment ordering and will begin internal construction immediately. Estimated project-wide construction and equipment costs are expected to total approximately $25m.
Commercial supply of Rhopressa from the plant is expected to be available by 2020.
"We have now achieved another milestone in executing our stated long-term strategy,” said Vicente Anido, Jr, Chief Executive Officer and Chair at Aerie.
“As we prepare for commercialisation, it is increasingly important that we ensure greater independence regarding our finished product sourcing while also meaningfully reducing our future product costs.”
IDA has provided employment and capital investment incentives to Aerie as part of the overall arrangement.
Rhopressa and Roclatan
Aerie's two lead product candidates are once-daiIy intraocular pressure-lowering therapies, Rhopressa and Roclatan.
Rhopressa (netarsudil ophthalmic solution) is a combination Rho kinase and norepinephrine transporter inhibitor for the treatment of glaucoma or ocular hypertension.
Roclatan is a fixed dose combination of Rhopressa and latanoprost, used to treat increased pressure inside the eye. It is currently in Phase III registration trials.
If these trials are successful, a Roclatan new drug application filing is expected to take place near the end of 2017.
Aerie is also focused on the development of additional product candidates and technologies in ophthalmology.
