Almac Group announces completion of two new facilities as part of £400 million expansion
The Almac Group, a global leader in providing expert services and support across the drug development lifecycle, has announced the completion of two new purpose-built facilities at its headquarters in Craigavon, Northern Ireland meeting client demand in commercial manufacturing and packaging as well as peptide production. A privately owned organisation, Almac has grown organically over the past five decades, employing over 7,000 people across 18 facilities in Europe, North America, and Asia.
The first of the two major expansion projects is a 32,000 square feet custom-built high-volume facility for Almac Pharma Services that significantly increases commercial manufacturing and packaging of sachet drug product presentations. The investment includes additional large-scale manufacturing suites, automated primary and secondary sachet packaging technologies and also expands the company’s QC Laboratory Testing capacity.
The second project is a 28,000 square feet GMP facility that more than doubles peptide API manufacturing capacity for Almac Sciences. It will enhance synthesis, purification and isolation capabilities and meet anticipated demand for clinical development and commercial products.
These new developments are part of Almac’s global investment programme announced in June 2022. Since the start of the programme Almac has also announced a Centre of Excellence for Commercial Drug Product Partnership; a CDx Development, Manufacturing and Commercial centre; a drug substance GMP facility for clinical and commercial manufacturing; further expansion to clinical production and distribution capabilities in Souderton, Pennsylvania and the launch of cryogenic and ultra-low service capabilities for clinical supply in Durham, North Carolina.
Graeme McBurney (pictured), Chief Operating Officer, Almac Group, said: “The announcement of continued expansion ensures that we remain the global leaders in our industry, giving our clients and ultimately patients across the world who benefit from these therapeutics, the best possible offering from Almac.
“Our new peptide API manufacturing facility will significantly grow our portfolio of client APIs and is the latest stage of a wider development and manufacturing expansion initiative for Almac Sciences. The business has also recently opened a new technology development centre, installed additional small molecule API GMP reactors, and opened a dedicated chemical warehouse.
“In the drug product service arm of our business, Almac Pharma Services is adding to its large-scale commercial manufacturing and packaging capabilities in response to growing demand for tailored solutions to meet clients’ market growth needs. This allows us to support our clients throughout a drug’s lifespan, from early development through to commercialisation.
“Almac Group believes it is vital to keep growing our capacity and our range of service offerings to meet the growing needs of all our clients now and into the future. I am extremely proud of the strong, global reputation that Almac has built over the last 55 years as a trusted and stable CDMO partner for the world’s leading biopharma companies.
“We are a privately-owned and independent company, committed to re-investing all our profit back into the business so that we can continuously innovate and expand, enabling us to support our clients and together advance human health.”
