€45m pharma expansion in doubt

A planned €45 million expansion of Roche’s Irish production plant is in doubt after the pharmaceutical giant abandoned trials for a new potential blockbuster drug.

Preparatory work was well advanced and planning permission already secured by Roche at its plant in Clarecastle, Co Clare, for the facility’s expansion to cater for the production of a new “good cholesterol” drug — Dalcetrapib — to combat heart disease.

The expansion was anticipated to result in further jobs at the plant where 224 are employed.