Takeda has officially opened a new manufacturing plant at its site at Grange Castle, in Dublin, Ireland.
The company CEO, government ministers and industry officials together with staff and guests were among the two hundred people in attendance for the opening ceremony.
Takeda Ireland is a wholly owned subsidiary of Takeda Pharmaceutical Company Limited.
Takeda, which has had a large presence in Ireland since 1997, has created the new high-containment production for manufacturing their oncology treatment. Construction of the plant began in June 2017. The plant is the first Active Pharmaceutical Ingredient (API) manufacturing operation to be located outside of Japan for Takeda and houses all steps of the production process including API, drug product and primary and secondary packaging for supply to global markets.
The Takeda Grange Castle plant will increase its workforce by 50% as a result of the expansion.
"I am delighted to be in Ireland for the official opening of our manufacturing site in Grange Castle. We have built up a strong foundation in Ireland over the past 17 years, and this new plant in Grange Castle is an important strategic site for us, as it is not only the first overseas manufacturing centre for APIs outside of Japan, but it houses all the steps of the production process," Takeda Pharmaceutical CEO Christophe Weber said. "We are excited to take this next step and continue to deliver our medicines to patients around the world and concentrate our efforts on breakthrough innovations."
"Manufacturing excellence in pharmaceuticals is a hallmark of Ireland's success in the sector. This innovative manufacturing site not only highlights Takeda's commitment to Ireland, it also showcases how competitive Ireland is for global enterprise and investment," Mary Buckley, Executive Director, IDA Ireland said.
In addition to their oncology treatments, Takeda Ireland produces APIs for the treatment of Diabetes, Oncology, Insomnia, Weight loss, Acid related disease, Bipolar disorder and Hypertension.
Takeda additionally announced another project in Grange Castle. The company is investing about 30 million Euro into a regenerative medicine facility at its site in Grange Castle, which will be the first commercial scale cell therapy production facility in Ireland. The facility will cover all steps of the cell therapy production process from receipt of donor material to fill finish, packaging and shipment off site to the patient.
Takeda globally focuses its R&D efforts on oncology, gastroenterology and central nervous system therapeutic areas plus vaccines. Takeda conducts R&D both internally and with partners. New products, especially in oncology and gastroenterology, as well as its involvement in Emerging Markets, fuel the growth of Takeda. Approximately 55,000 Takeda employees are employed in more than 70 countries.
Across Ireland, Takeda has commercial operations, corporate services and two other manufacturing facilities in Bray, and Dunboyne.