Swiss pharma group Helsinn announces €6m investment in Ireland

Company employs about 170 people at its facility in Mulhuddart in Dublin

Helsinn, a Swiss pharmaceutical group focused on building cancer care products, has announced a €6 million investment at its drug product supply centre in Dublin.

The investments provide the company’s Irish subsidiary Helsinn Birex Pharmaceuticals with the capability to apply unique serial numbers and tamper evidence features to drugs to ensure high quality products, safeguard its supply chain and comply with international regulatory requirements.

"The presence of counterfeit medicines in the global pharmaceutical supply chain denotes a clear and present threat to patient safety, fraud against healthcare payers and a global reputational risk to the industry," said group general manager Giorgio Calderari.

“This major investment by Helsinn reinforces our commitment to patients worldwide, who deserve assurance that they are receiving authentic Helsinn products, developed, manufactured and supplied by our team of professional staff,” he added.

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Helsinn is a privately owned pharmaceutical group with an extensive portfolio of cancer care products.

The company, whose headquarters are in Lugano, employs about 170 people at its facility in Mulhuddart. Its Irish subsidiary reported an €80.2 million profit and revenues of €245.1 million in 2016.

The company, which was founded in 1976 by Dr Gabriele Braglia, works across pharmaceuticals, biotechnology, medical devices and nutritional supplements. It employs more than 600 people globally and has a presence in 190 countries.

Charlie Taylor

Charlie Taylor

Charlie Taylor is a former Irish Times business journalist