Shire had big ambitions when it built a $400 million biologics plant in Ireland it said would help achieve its “ambition of becoming the world’s leading biotechnology company.” Well, Shire no longer exists. It was absorbed into Japan’s Takeda, which now intends to sell the plant with 200 employees.
The company said in an emailed statement that a review of manufacturing facilities after its $60 billion buyout of Shire found it had excess capacity, so it decided to “divest its biologics facility in Dunboyne.” It said it intends to sell the nearly-new plant as a going concern and does not intend any layoffs.
Takeda said it is shopping the facility around and, given the capabilities of the plant and its workforce, is confident it will be “an attractive asset” to a buyer.
The company pointed out it will keep other facilities in Ireland, including its site in Grange Castle near Dublin.
It last year opened a $42.8 million plant at the Grange Castle site to produce its oral multiple myeloma drug Ninlaro. Takeda also is investing about $30.5 million on a standalone modular cell therapy facility and adding about 70 jobs at the site for the production of a novel stem cell therapy.
By Eric Palmer
Source: Fierce Pharma
Lonza will invest to expand its drug product manufacturing network in Switzerland. The investment will include installation of a new aseptic fill and finish line in Stein and the expansion of Drug Product Services in Basel. The expansion adds new capabilities to support clinical and commercial manufacturing and enhances existing drug product service offering in Basel and Visp.
Partial reprogramming of adult heart cells to a fetal-like state could help repair heart damage following cardiac injury or disease, scientists at the Max Planck Institute for Heart and Lung Research showed in mice.
When Merck’s women’s health spinoff Organon launched in June, it promised to listen to—and amplify—women’s voices on overlooked health concerns. Now, the company is getting specific. Organon hopes to ignite a conversation about an issue that affects 121 million women around the world every year.
