Elan expansion claims ‘premature’

ELAN, the Dublin-headquartered global pharmaceutical giant, has poured cold water on claims that it is about to invest around $100 million in expanding its operations in San Francisco, where it already has a sizeable office.

A brief report in the San Francisco Business Times recently suggested the company was looking to lease an additional 185,000sq ft — covering two new buildings — from its landlord, Chamberlain Associates. Chamberlain owns the four buildings which house Elan’s operation in the Californian city. The report also suggested Elan was looking to recruit another 500 employees.

However, a spokesman for Elan yesterday said such talk was premature, to say the least. The 500-jobs figure is apparently well wide of the mark and the new buildings have yet to be built and won’t be for another two years or so.