Pharmaceuticals company Takeda Ireland has opened a cell therapy production facility at its site in Grange Castle, Dublin, the first of its kind in Ireland.
The facility will manufacture cell therapy treatment options for the European, US and Canadian markets, with over 100 set to start work at the site and another 100 jobs to be filled over the next three years.
The site will host drug product, drug substance and master cell stock, and it will also supply drug substance to other Takeda manufacturing facilities.
Takeda said much of the supply chain and manufacturing processes at the facility have been automated due to the short shelf life of the treatment, and it will use a number of rapid microbial test methods to release products in a timely manner.
The opening follows an announcement last year by parent company Takeda Pharmaceutical Company Ltd that it would invest a further €36.4m in Grange Castle to support the expansion of the cell therapy facility and support growing global demand.
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"The opening of this state-of-the-art cell therapy facility at Grange Castle illustrates Takeda’s innovation capabilities and also underlines the importance of Ireland to the global Takeda manufacturing network," said Thomas Wozniewski, global manufacturing and supply officer at Takeda.
"Cell therapy facilities require a [specialised] set of skills and the talent base in Ireland is as important as other frame conditions like proximity to partners and an international airport.”
The expanded site will be the first facility in Ireland that is approved to release a cellular therapy product commercially using rapid test methods.
"The Grange Castle site is growing from strength to strength thanks to a great team and strong investment in our people and technology," site head Paul Keogh said. "The treatment produced here will be delivered to patients within 72 hours of being released from Grange Castle which means we are closer to the patient than we have ever been and this brings a great sense of pride to our team."
Takeda Grange Castle now uses 100% renewable energy, and it has achieved the ISO international standard for energy maintenance. The Tokyo and New York-listed company has committed to becoming carbon-zero in its own operations by 2040.
Commenting on the announcement, Tánaiste and Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment Leo Varadkar said: “Congratulations to Takeda on the opening of this new, state of the art facility, which already employs 100 people and will create 100 more jobs over the next three years.
"Takeda is at the forefront of cutting-edge research and innovation and the company’s continued investment here underlines Ireland’s position as a global hub for the biopharma sector. The treatments developed at this centre will make a real difference to patients’ lives and I would like to thank the team for their commitment and wish them well in this new chapter.”
Martin Shanahan, CEO of IDA Ireland, added: "Takeda’s continued investment at its Grange Castle facility and the opening of this cell therapy production facility at its Grange Castle site is a huge vote of confidence in Ireland and our strong value proposition.
"Cell therapy is a core pillar in the emerging field of Advanced Therapy Medicinal Products (ATMPs), widely considered as the next generation of pharmaceutical therapies. These products require highly innovative approaches to manufacturing and offer unparalleled opportunities in the treatment of disease.
"This facility adds to Ireland’s reputation as a global location of excellence for next-generation biopharmaceutical products.”
Photo: Biochemists working inside a buffer preparation room used for manufacturing medical products at Takeda Pharmaceuticals in Singapore. (Pic: ROSLAN RAHMAN/AFP via Getty Images)
