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
The Serum Institute of India (SII) expects to soon receive World Health Organisation (WHO) emergency use authorisation for the Oxford University/AstraZeneca Covid-19 vaccine, produced for mid and low-income countries.
According to the deal, Sanofi will gain full global rights to Kymab’s fully human monoclonal antibody, KY1005 that attaches to OX40-Ligand and can potentially treat various immune-mediated diseases and inflammatory ailments.
Moderna tapped veteran Amgen executive Corinne Le Goff to spearhead that effort as chief commercial officer.
