Biopharmaceutical company Ipsen Ireland has upgraded its manufacturing site in Blanchardstown in west Dublin after a €52 million investment.
Tánaiste Leo Varadkar joined Ipsen’s global chief executive David Loew to launch the facility, which follows Ipsen’s investment to enhance the production of treatments for patients with rare and life-limiting conditions.
Paris-headquartered multinational Ipsen, which employs 175 people in Ireland, said the upgrade would support the extension and acceleration of the production of medicine that helps patients suffering from niche cancers and rare diseases.
The enhanced site has already enabled Ipsen Ireland’s research and development (R&D) and manufacturing teams to scale their active pharmaceutical ingredient (API) production by 10 per cent this year compared to 2021.
Ipsen plans to invest a further €15 million in its Blanchardstown site between 2023 and 2026, it said. The company has expanded its workforce at the facility by 20 per cent since 2019 and is focused on driving continued research and innovation through its R&D division, having grown its team of chemists and analysts by 10 per cent over the past two years.
“It’s great to see a biopharmaceutical company which has been here for over 30 years continuing to invest and grow in Ireland, particularly when the goal is to help more patients achieve a better quality of life through its medicines,” said Mr Varadkar, as he welcomed the site launch and investment announcement.
Mr Loew said the Irish market played an “important role” in the company’s international network.
“Ipsen is committed to continued investment and innovation in Ireland to support improved care for patients across the therapeutic areas we serve — oncology, rare disease, and neuroscience,” he said.
“We hope to continue building Ipsen Ireland as an important pharmaceutical manufacturing and development site within Europe. Now we welcome the continued efforts of the Irish Government to invest in the innovative medicines that will enable Ipsen Ireland to transform even more patients’ lives.”
