By Business & Finance 
Eli Lilly announced today that the company is set to invest €35m in delivering a new high-tech manufacturing facility at its Kinsale campus.
Using pioneering technology, the project will carry out the development and commercialisation of a number of Lilly’s small molecule pipeline products that are currently undergoing late-stage clinical trials, which have the potential to transform how medicines are made in the future.
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 (APIs) for Lilly worldwide.
The global healthcare leader has been in Ireland for over 35 years and now employs around 1,000 people in three operations in Kinsale, Cork city and Dublin.
Dr John Lechleiter, CEO and chairman of Eli Lilly, 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 programme 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, commented: “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.”
