Gilead Sciences To Invest 60 Million Euro In New Biopharmaceutical Facility In Dublin

Irish Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment Micheál Martin announced that a leading international biopharmaceutical company, Gilead Sciences Limited, will invest 60 million euro in developing a new world-class pharmaceutical plant at Grange Castle Business Park, Clondalkin, Dublin.

Gilead Sciences of California, USA, is a biopharmaceutical company that discovers, develops and commercialises innovative therapeutics for infectious diseases and areas of unmet medical need, such as the potential treatment of HIV, hepatitis B and C and pulmonary arterial hypertension. Among the key activities of the company in Ireland are the manufacture, packaging and distribution of Gilead's products and the supply of anti-HIV medications to developing countries as part of the Gilead Access Programme, which provides the medications to developing countries at significantly reduced prices.

The development of the new Dublin facility will involve the relocation of the company’s current facilities and over 80 staff from Sandyford Industrial Estate to Grange Castle Business Park. The company is relocating from Sandyford as its current facilities have reached maximum capacity and are no longer able to meet its growth targets and manufacturing requirements. An additional 80 positions are expected to be created in line with the company’s growth estimates. In addition, the development will also consider potential expansion requirements at the plant for a financial shared services centre and tabletting facility.

Minister Martin, welcoming the investment, said: “Gilead is recognised as one of the leading biotechnology companies in the world and its intention to develop a world-class biopharmaceutical facility is very welcome news for Dublin.”

The Minister continued: “We are operating in a highly competitive global environment for leading biopharmaceutical investment of this kind. A key element of IDA Ireland’s strategy is a focus on winning new inward investment where the activities are at the high quality end of the business value chain. Grange Castle Business Park was specifically designed to accommodate high value, knowledge intensive investment to Ireland and Gilead Sciences will make a superb addition to the leading global biopharmaceutical companies already located there.”

Julie O’Neill, Gilead Sciences General Manager in Ireland, said: “Gilead has been extremely pleased with operations in Ireland, based on a strong skills base and pro-business environment. To facilitate our continuing expansion and to provide for additional functions into the future, we recently negotiated the acquisition of a 20-acre site at Grange Castle Business Park with South Dublin County Council and it is expected that a formal planning application for 200,000 sq. ft. of buildings will be submitted by the end of April 2007.”

If successful in obtaining planning permission, the target completion date for construction of the new facility is estimated as late 2008.

(CD)