Manufacturing & Supply Chain

Dr. John C. Lechleiter, chairman, president, and CEO, Eli Lilly and Company, announced today that the company is set to invest €35 million in delivering a new high-tech manufacturing facility at its Kinsale campus, using pioneering technology that has the potential to transform how medicines are made in the future.

The project will apply “Continuous Manufacturing Technology” to carry out the development and commercialisation of a number of Lilly’s small molecule pipeline products that are currently undergoing late-stage clinical trials.

The project implementation team, who have been working on this technology for a number of years to prove the concept, will seek to establish a fully operational facility by early 2017. This development will see the Kinsale site becoming the centre of excellence for continuous manufacturing for Active Pharmaceutical Ingredients (API) for Lilly worldwide.

This investment is supported by the Department of Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation through IDA Ireland.

Minister for Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation, Richard Bruton TD, who has met senior Lilly executives in their U.S. headquarters on a number of occasions since taking office, said: “Pharma is a key sector which we have targeted as part of our jobs plan, and winning investments from  major world-leading companies like Lilly brings enormous benefits to Ireland. Not only are the direct jobs of huge importance to a town like Kinsale, but the heavy investments made by major pharma companies like this create massive knock-on impact on the local economy, in the form of extra employment in supply and service companies. Today’s announcement of a further €35 million investment by Lilly is a great boost, and I wish Dr. Lechleiter and his team every success.”

Noting that Lilly celebrates 140 years in business next month, Dr. Lechleiter said,  “Since our Kinsale site was established 35 years ago, it has contributed significantly to the success of our company and has developed a strong reputation for delivery. This investment follows a major biotech investment program at Kinsale over the past eight years, which so far has resulted in an investment of €650m and the recruitment of 350 additional employees at the site”.

Commenting on the investment, Chris Langan, general manager at Kinsale, said, “Building on the strong technical capability already in place in Kinsale, the team is highly motivated to undertake this project as it offers a significant new opportunity for the site.  The company is amongst the industry leaders in the development of this technology, and it is an exciting project for everyone involved here at the site”.

Welcoming the announcement Martin Shanahan, CEO, IDA Ireland said, “Pharmaceutical companies such as Lilly continue to choose Ireland for a number of reasons. One of the main reasons is the world-class pharma infrastructure and skilled workforce in Ireland.  This investment demonstrates Lilly’s enduring commitment to Ireland.  It also further illustrates Ireland’s position as a leading location for the development and manufacture of pharmaceutical and biopharmaceuticals medicines”.