52 new jobs as southeast US biotech expands

US biotech company Genzyme yesterday announced the creation of 52 new jobs at its Waterford plant and said its Irish workforce would rise to 401 by the end of the year. The company has already recruited 104 new staff since 2006. The news was welcomed in Waterford which has suffered a string of job loss announcements recently.

Genzyme, which has its global headquarters in Cambridge, Massachusetts, employs 9,000 people worldwide and established its Irish operation six years ago.

The company said it is continuing to invest in Waterford where it will have spent €270 million by the end of 2007.

The plant produces a range of drugs for international export including Renagel, used in the treatment of kidney disease, Thymoglobulin, an anti-organ rejection agent and Cerezyme for the treatment of Gaucher disease (a genetic disorder which affects the liver and spleen).

Mark Bamforth, Genzyme senior vice-president, said during a visit to Waterford yesterday that sales of all three products were on the increase. "The highly skilled and motivated Genzyme Ireland team has proven to be excellent at adapting to changing business requirements" and announced a further expansion of production. During the first quarter of 2007, sales of Renagel grew 16 per cent to $137.4 million while Cerezyme grew 10 per cent to $263.8 million. Sales of Thymoglobulin reached $39.4 million.

"Myozyme, the first treatment ever developed for Pompe disease, is scheduled for production at Waterford later this year." Pompe disease is a rare, inherited and often fatal disorder that disables the heart and muscles.

The company expects sales of Myozyme to increase to $170-$180 million this year. The Waterford site is also "gearing up for the production of Genzyme's future products" including Tolevamer, (a new treatment for diarrhoea) and Renvela (a "next-generation" treatment for patients with chronic kidney disease.)

Most of the new jobs are expected to go to graduates. Prof Kieran Byrne, director of the Waterford Institute of Technology, said the announcement was "particularly good news for graduates from the institute's school of science with Genzyme regarded as an excellent place to work".