Regeneron shifts production from New Yok to Limerick
The Times reported that Regeneron, a biotech giant valued at $63bn (€58bn), is shifting manufacturing of some of its existing products from the US to Ireland in order to clear its New York facility for Covid-19 treatments.
The company confirmed it would boost drug production at its plant in Limerick, which is the largest bulk biologics facility in the country, as it revamps the New York facility for potential new treatments. Regeneron has invested over $1bn in its plant on the site of the former Dell factory at Raheen in Limerick, which employs more than 900 staff.
The multinational makes its full portfolio of medicines at the Limerick plant and one in Rensselaer in New York. Since the Covid-19 outbreak, it has been working on new antibodies that may be used to treat the virus and it is also conducting trials on an existing product, Kevzara, for severe Covid-19 cases.
Regeneron is preparing the New York plant for large-scale production of antibodies and is expected to move a large amount of its existing production to Limerick as a result. “We can confirm that we are currently working with regulatory authorities to license production of some additional Regeneron products at our site in Limerick,” said the company.
Regeneron declined to comment on the scale of investment in the Limerick plant but said it was hiring biotech production specialists and other staff in Ireland. Some of the positions “relate to our Covid-19 response efforts”, the company said.
