Bristol-Myers Squibb has announced plans to construct a new biologics manufacturing facility in Cruiserath, County Dublin, Ireland, which will produce multiple therapies for the company's biologics portfolio.The 30,000-square meter project will house six 15,000-liter bioreactors and a purification area as well as office and laboratory space. The plant will be built on the grounds of the company's existing bulk pharmaceutical manufacturing plant.

“Our investment in this new facility reflects the strength of our business and the increasingly important role that biologic medicines will play in Bristol-Myers Squibb's future,” said Lamberto Andreott, chief executive officer, Bristol-Myers Squibb, in a company release. “For 50 years, Bristol-Myers Squibb has maintained a significant manufacturing presence in Ireland, and we look forward to building on that legacy through this significant expansion of our manufacturing capability.”

Bristol-Myers Squibb's board of directors has approved initial funding that will support the first phase of the project. The full cost of the facility, expected to be finalized in the second half of 2015, is anticipated to be comparable to the approximately $900-million investment to construct and operationalize the company's biologics manufacturing facility in Devens, Massachusetts.

Approximately 350 to 400 scientists, engineers, bioprocess operators, quality specialists, and other skilled professionals are expected to work at the facility when construction is completed, and the construction program is expected to create about 1,000 jobs. The completion of the facility, including commissioning and validation, is anticipated to take approximately four years and is estimated to be operational in 2019. The company worked with Ireland’s Department of Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation through IDA Ireland as part of the planned expansion.

Source: Bristol-Myers Squibb