BioMarin Manufacturing Ireland, a subsidiary of BioMarin Pharmaceutical Inc. today announced that it expects to expand its Dublin operation, with the creation of up to 50 new jobs in its Dublin Global Commercial Operations Hub.
BioMarin also announced this week that the European Commission approval of VIMIZIM, an enzyme replacement drug for the treatment of MPS IVA, a lysosomal storage disorder.
The Dublin operation has responsibility for international supply chain, logistics and high level commercial decision making, including price, distribution and third party contracts for the launch of VIMIZIM. The company will recruit senior accounting, finance, customer service and marketing positions. This expansion complements the growth in BioMarin’s biopharma manufacturing facility in Shanbally, Co. Cork which is expected to grow to 140 employees by 2015 to support the anticipated commercial demand of VIMIZIM. BioMarin expects to have a combined total employment of approximately 200 people in Ireland by the end of 2017.
Minister Richard Bruton TD, who has met BioMarin on a number of occasions since taking office both in Ireland and in USA, said: “I know from our various meetings both in Ireland and USA that BioMarin is a world-leading company in its field. As part of our Action Plan for Jobs we have specifically targeted biopharmaceuticals, and we have seen some major successes in this area in the past two years despite the challenges facing the Pharma sector more broadly. Today’s announcement that BioMarin is expanding its operations in Dublin and creating 50 jobs is a further boost for the sector and for the city and I look forward to working with BioMarin as they develop their plants in Dublin and Cork.”
James Lennertz, VP and GM BMIL and EUMEA Commercial Operations, BioMarin said: “Ireland is an ideal business environment, which lets us focus on what we do best—targeting diseases like Morquio A syndrome that lack effective drug therapies and affect relatively few people, many of whom are children. The expansion of BioMarin’s Global Commercial Operation in Dublin is an essential part of our strategy in providing therapies that are the first or best of their kind.”
Welcoming the expansion of BioMarin Barry O’Leary, CEO of IDA said: “This project is an important strategic win for the growing cluster of speciality Pharma companies and high end business service centres in Ireland. The proposed expansion is a positive development for BioMarin to increase its footprint in Ireland. I look forward to continue to work closely with BioMarin as it further embeds its operations in Ireland.”