West Pharmaceutical Services Inc. will invest 100 million euros ($125.4 million) in a new manufacturing facility in Waterford, Ireland.
The facility will initially produce packaging components for insulin injector cartridges and other packaging components, but likely will add other production and could employ up to 300.
“I am delighted with this announcement of a new manufacturing facility in the South East by West Pharmaceutical Services which will create 100 construction jobs during its development and an initial 150 new jobs when operational,” said Enda Kenny, the Irish taoiseach, or prime minister, in a statement. “It is a massive boost for Waterford and the entire South East and I am happy that Government was able to assist through the work of the IDA [Irish Development Agency].”
Exton, Pa.-based West Pharma said construction is scheduled to begin in early 2015 at the facility's location on a 44-acre site in Waterford, subject to the project obtaining requisite planning and zoning approvals.
The facility will become a center of excellence for West Pharma's proprietary rubber sheeting, which is used to package insulin for use in pen injectors. The company plans a future expansion of manufacturing space for its proprietary injectable component product lines, which it says are integral to many injectable and dosage forms.
“With diabetes emerging as one of the fastest growing diseases globally, our pharmaceutical customers are expanding their production lines for injectable insulin. To meet this growing demand, we are announcing an expansion today that will help us address this need and continue to serve this critical patient population," said Donald E. Morel Jr., West Pharma's chairman and CEO.
