Merck & Co to build vaccine facility in Ireland
Merck & Co Inc is to establish a new Euro 200 million ($280 m) strategic vaccine facility at Carlow Town, with the support of IDA Ireland, where Merck has acquired the 65 acre IDA Business and Technology Park.
Merck & Co Inc is to establish a new Euro 200 million ($280 m) strategic vaccine facility at Carlow Town, with the support of IDA Ireland, where Merck has acquired the 65 acre IDA Business and Technology Park.
The project will support Merck's expanding global business in human vaccines and biologics and will create 170 new high quality jobs by 2011.
The new Carlow facility, which will be the first stand-alone human vaccine project in Ireland, will involve a formulation and sterile filling operation and an R&D team to support a number of recently launched vaccines and new products in the future. Merck also intends to seek opportunities to collaborate with Irish academic institutions in the area of biologics production.
Merck has two existing operations in Ireland employing a total of 460 people - Merck, Sharp & Dohme (Ireland) Ltd, at Ballydine, Co. Tipperary, producing active pharmaceutical ingredients; and Merck, Sharp & Dohme Ireland (Human Health) Ltd, at Leopardstown, Co. Dublin, which is the corporate platform for a number of strategic activities for the company in Ireland.
Dr John T McCubbins, Vice President of Global Vaccine manufacturing for Merck & Co., Inc. said "To-date our Irish operations have proven their ability to implement additional investments and new activities with great success and without delay. This gives us the assurance that this new facility will be constructed and up and running in Carlow in accordance with our demanding deadlines and the very high standards we require."