BioMarin International Ltd has announced that it is investing in a new drug product filling project at its Shanbally, Co Cork facility. This project will allow the company to maximise the flexibility of the site with the expansion of the operational manufacturing capacity to meet the rise in the global demand for its therapies to treat rare genetic diseases that mostly affect children.
The drug product filling project investment, estimated at approximately $43 million, is projected to create an additional 51 roles across all disciplines and will augment the site’s drug substance manufacturing and secondary packaging and labelling capability.
A planning application will be submitted in the coming weeks and it is anticipated that an additional 100 personnel will be on site during the construction, commissioning and qualification phases.
Fully integrated manufacturing
BioMarin executive vice-president Robert Baffi said: “The introduction of fill finish capacity at Shanbally provides for fully integrated manufacturing from bulk to drug product onsite. During our seven years of operations at Shanbally we have seen tremendous growth at the site. This expansion assures that an increasing amount of our commercial products will be manufactured at the site.”
Executive director of IDA Ireland Mary Buckley said: “I am delighted to welcome BioMarin’s latest investment. As a global leader in the manufacturing of treatments for rare diseases, the company has quickly gone from strength to strength in Ireland.
"The Shanbally operation is ideally positioned to accommodate this latest expansion due to the existing skill base and the proven track record of success in Cork over the past seven years. Today’s high value investment in Cork further consolidates Ireland’s position globally as a location of choice for biopharmaceuticals.”
Since opening its doors in Shanbally in 2011, the company has grown to a little more than 350 employees in Cork, with an additional 55 people based in Dublin and more than 2,600 employees globally.
A little more than one year ago, BioMarin completed an expanded warehouse, new administration and utilities offices, a canteen and conference facilities. This year saw the completion of a wastewater pre-treatment plant and a new Bio-Assay laboratory is currently being commissioned.
BioMarin focuses on developing first-in-class and best-in-class therapeutics that have the potential to improve clinical outcomes of patients with rare genetic diseases. The company currently has seven approved products that are the only drugs available on the market today for the diseases they treat.
About BioMarin
BioMarin is a global biotechnology company that develops and commercialises innovative therapies for patients with serious and life-threatening rare and ultra-rare genetic diseases. The company's portfolio consists of seven commercialised products and multiple clinical and pre-clinical product candidates. For additional information, please visit
www.BioMarin.com.