US drugs company Pfizer today announced a €240 million expansion for its Dún Laoghaire plant that will create 200 new jobs over five years.
The plant employs 150 people and produces a number of medicines, including an antibiotic, a breast cancer drug, and a treatment for yeast infections.
Pfizer, which employs more than 2,000 people in Ireland at nine operations in Dublin and Cork, said the skilled workforce and welcoming business environment in Ireland "serve as a model for other countries that wish to attract or retain a vibrant pharmaceutical industry presence".
The planned expansion, which is back by IDA, entails the construction of a new freeze-drying production module, laboratories, warehousing space, and personnel and administrative support areas on company property adjacent to the existing plant on Pottery Road.
The Taoiseach, Mr Ahern, said: "This expansion of the Dún Laoghaire plant is certainly good news for the continued growth of Ireland as a key strategic location for pharmaceutical manufacturing and investment and in terms of high quality job creation."
He said: "Companies like Pfizer are committed to improving health solutions for patients here and in the rest of Europe. Investments in pharmaceutical innovation are essential to our future economic wealth and the health of our citizens."
