Drug manufacturer in the North, Almac Group, announces UK expansion

One of the North's leading drug manufacturers has launched a €22m (£16m) expansion into England.

Almac Group will operate a significant proportion of the 70-acre Charnwood Campus in Loughborough, Leicestershire.

The firm will establish development and testing facilities at the site.

Graeme McBurney, managing director of Almac Pharma Services, said: “As we experience increased client demand for our pharmaceutical development and niche commercial manufacturing services, this latest expansion will significantly enhance Almac’s offering, increasing capacity and capability and further demonstrating our continued commitment to support our global clients in the development and manufacturing of their drug products.”

It is anticipated that approximately 180 new jobs will be created over the next five years, adding to Almac’s global workforce of more than 4,000.

With an initial investment into the Charnwood site of €22m (£16m), a start date is planned in early 2017.

The company announced last week the multi-million euro acquisition of Arran Chemicals in Co. Roscommon.