AbbVie Inc. has opened the company’s newly expanded manufacturing facility in Sligo, Ireland. The expansion provides increased manufacturing capacity for the company’s existing product portfolio as well as new therapies within the company’s pipeline. Since the initial announcement of the expansion in 2012, AbbVie has invested EUR 85 million ($116 million) in the Sligo facility. The company has operated in Sligo since 1974.  

AbbVie’s presence in Ireland also includes locations in Dublin and Cork, as well as a second plant in Sligo at Ballytivnan.  AbbVie employs more than 400 personnel in Ireland, supporting commercial operations and general operations. AbbVie’s current global manufacturing network includes 12 sites across the United States, Europe and Puerto Rico, as well as strategic partnerships with third-party manufacturers.

​”This investment represents our ongoing commitment to Sligo and Ireland as an important part of AbbVie’s biopharmaceutical manufacturing strategy,” said Azita Saleki-Gerhardt, senior vice-president, operations, AbbVie, in a press statement “Our presence here in Sligo dates back to 1974, and our success in Ireland is a credit to our dedicated staff and management. This expansion builds capacity for existing products and for potential therapies in our pipeline, such as our investigational, all-oral, interferon-free regimen for the treatment of adult patients with chronic genotype 1 (GT1) hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection.”

Earlier this year, AbbVie announced it will invest $320 million to establish operations in Singapore for small-molecule and biologics active drug substance manufacturing. The completed facility will provide manufacturing capacity for emerging compounds within AbbVie’s oncology and immunology pipeline to serve markets globally. The investment will establish the first manufacturing presence in Asia by AbbVie. AbbVie anticipates the new facility will be fully operational by 2019.

See related story, “AbbVie Plans $320 Million Manufacturing Investment in Singapore”.

Source: AbbVie