Foundation stone laid for €400m extension to Eli Lilly drug plant

THE foundation stone was laid yesterday on a €400 million extension to a global drug firm’s Cork plant, which will develop new generation biotech drugs and employ 200 people within five years.

The IDA Ireland-backed investment in the development of a biopharmaceutical manufacturing operation at Eli Lilly’s plant in Dunderrow, Kinsale, will bring total employment at the plant to more than 600.

The new facility will produce medicines to treat illnesses including cancer, diabetes and Alzheimer’s disease in patients around the world.

New labs to support the operation have already been commissioned and will be fully operational by the end of the year.

Enterprise Minister Micheál Martin said he was delighted to lay the foundation stone less than two years after the investment was announced.

“The fact that the Irish facility was chosen for such a strategic investment against strong global competition further strengthened our position as a leading location for major biopharmaceutical activity outside the US,” he said.

He was joined by Eli Lilly’s new president and chief executive, Dr John Lechleiter, who took up the position last week.

“The decision to locate this facility on our existing site at Dunderrow is due to the strong performance of the site to date, the access to top quality personnel and the support of IDA Ireland, government agencies and local community,” he said.

Cork Chamber also welcomed the development.

“Considering that this investment could have been located anywhere in the world, it is a very significant achievement that Cork has been chosen with the decision being influenced by the positive experience of Eli Lilly over the past 26 years as well as a very positive business environment,” said chamber chief executive Conor Healy.

Mr Martin also announced a joint research partnership between the National Institute for Bioprocessing Research and Training and Eli Lilly’s Biologics Research and Development Organisation & in Indianapolis.

The research and training institute was established to give Ireland a competitive edge and help attract globally strategic biotech investments to Ireland.

Both agencies will work together to develop analytical technologies to help monitor the condition of cell cultures.

Eli Lilly opened its Kinsale plant in 1981. It employs 430 people.

The plant makes the active ingredients for some of the firm’s drugs, including Zyprexa for the treatment of Schizophrenia.