Grifols opens new medical protein purification plant in Dublin

Spanish pharma group Grifols has opened a large new extension at its Dublin site.

The new albumin purification plant marks a significant upgrade for the Irish operation, which started life as a vial warehousing and final quality control hub. It makes Dublin the group’s fifth manufacturing site for plasma medicines alongside its historic base in Barcelona, a plant in Germany and two in the US — in North Carolina and California.

Albumin is the most common protein found in blood plasma. It is used to replace lost fluid in patients as well as restoring vital blood volume. It is also used in the treatment of some specific diseases such as cirrhosis. The company is also investigating its possible use in the treatment of neurological degenerative conditions such as Alzheimer’s disease.

The new plant is designed to help the company meet growing demand for the product, which it says is expected to increase by 5 per cent per annum over the next five years.

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It marks the single largest investment by the company in Ireland, which has spent in the region of €300 million on its Grange Castle site since its arrival here in 2012. It will increase employment at the site from 300 to more than 500 by 2024.

Plans for the facility were first announced in 2016 and it was initially due for completion in 2020. However, the need to dovetail the project with two other investments in the group’s network saw the timeline pushed back.

Following the expansion, Ireland will be the only Grifols site outside the US able to supply albumin in a new flexible plastic pouch rather than the more traditional vials. It will be able to supply albumin in three concentrations and four pack sizes to hospitals worldwide.

Tánaiste Leo Varadkar welcomed the company’s “continuing investment” in Dublin. “Having steadily grown its presence in Ireland over the last decade, Grifols’ further expansion reinforces Dublin as an important centre of the company’s global operations,” said the Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment.

IDA Ireland boss Martin Shanahan said the latest investment marked a 10-year milestone for the Spanish group in Ireland. “The Irish site plays an important role in providing vital plasma-derived medicine to treat disease around the world,” he said.

The company said Ireland has proven to be an attractive location for its business, given its strategic position between North America and continental Europe, its pro-business environment and its highly educated workforce.