Sector News

U.K.-based Almac snags EU site in preparation for Brexit 'uncertainty'

January 19, 2018
Life sciences

While Big Pharma companies have equivocated about whether to pull drug production from the U.K. because of Brexit, CDMO Almac quickly went out and did something about it. It obtained a site in the EU and is now investing about $30 million on upgrades.

Based in Northern Ireland—part of the U.K.—Almac has secured a site 40 minutes away in Dundalk, Ireland, part of the EU. It says EU regulators have recently inspected the site for clinical trial and commercial production.

It now intends to invest £30 million ($41.6 million) to add a quality-control laboratory, commercial drug packaging facility and a 79,000-square-foot EU distribution center for clinical trial supply. It said the expansion will more than triple the manufacturing footprint at the European campus, which it says is slated to be operating by January 2019.

“The announcement today of further expansion will ensure our current and future clients receive a seamless solution with access to the EU marketplace,” Almac CEO Alan Armstrong said in a statement. “Crucially, this will ensure an uninterrupted service provision through any uncertainty Brexit may bring.”

Drugmakers in the EU have been warning of drug supply chaos if the U.K. and European Commission can’t strike a specific deal covering the approval of medicines before their governmental divorce. About 45 million packages of drugs move from the U.K. to the EU each year and 37 million in the other direction, a European Federation of Pharmaceutical Industries and Associations survey found.

GlaxoSmithKline and AstraZeneca, the U.K.’s largest and second-largest drugmakers, have urged the two sides to make sure the pharma issues get resolved ahead of the split but are making contingency plans just in case. AZ’s Pascal Soriot, for example, declared a hiatus on any significant manufacturing investments in the country until there is more light around what the split will mean for pharma.

By Eric Palmer

Source: Fierce Pharma

comments closed

Related News

March 24, 2024

Johnson Matthey to sell its Medical Devices business for $700 million

Life sciences

Johnson Matthey Plc (JM; London) announced that it has signed a definitive agreement to sell 100% of its Medical Device Components business (MDC) to Montagu Private Equity (Montagu) for cash consideration of US$700 million (£550 million) on a cash free debt free basis.

March 24, 2024

Lonza acquires biologics manufacturing plant in California from Roche

Life sciences

Lonza AG (Basel, Switzerland) announced it has signed an agreement to acquire the Genentech large-scale biologics manufacturing site in Vacaville, Calif. from Roche (Basel, Switzerland) for $1.2 billion. The acquisition will significantly increase Lonza’s large-scale biologics manufacturing capacity.

March 24, 2024

Roquette to acquire IFF Pharma Solutions to boost global excipient presence

Life sciences

Roquette plans to acquire International Flavors & Fragrances (IFF) Pharma Solutions for an enterprise value of up to €2.85 billion (US$3.09 billion). With the acquisition set to close in the first half of 2025, the plant-based ingredient and pharmaceutical excipients supplier aims to reinforce its position in the pharmaceutical industry.

How can we help you?

We're easy to reach