Global ambition, local action at Gilead
The Dublin office of Gilead Sciences (centre), which is located to the left of event venue 3 Arena.
, vice president, Operations, Cork, and , vice president, Development, Dublin, outline how Gilead Sciences delivers innovative therapeutics for people with life-threatening diseases
As a biopharmaceutical company which discovers, develops and delivers innovative therapeutics for people with life-threatening diseases, Gilead Sciences has been at the forefront of pivotal breakthroughs for human health, including: the first single-tablet regimen for HIV, an oral cure for hepatitis C and the first European licence for a CAR T therapy for certain blood cancers. During the past two years, we developed the first antiviral to be widely used to treat the Covid-19 virus.
Health equity is a priority for Gilead, and we have worked hard to ensure global access to our HIV and viral hepatitis medicines – we were the first HIV company to join the Medicines Patent Pool and we are the largest corporate donor to the global HIV response.
During the pandemic, we have entered into licensing agreements with generic pharmaceutical manufacturers in Egypt, India and Pakistan to allow the royalty-free manufacture of our Covid-19 antiviral medicine for distribution in 127 low- and middle-income countries. Gilead also donated more than 450,000 vials of the drug to India.
Partnerships are key to our work. We are deeply involved in combating HIV in regions such as Eastern Europe and Central Asia, where the RADIAN initiative with the Elton John AIDS Foundation supports work to improve the quality of prevention and care for those at risk of contracting, or living with, HIV.
We have similar initiatives with a range of partners, including those focused on eliminating hepatitis C as a public health threat in countries as diverse as Iceland, Georgia and Mongolia.
Alongside these efforts to improve access to our medicines today, our teams are dedicated to developing the next innovations in virology, but also broadening our efforts in haematology and starting our journey in solid tumour oncology.
We have expanded our presence here in Ireland massively since establishing our office in 1999. Our footprint has grown to include four sites employing some 550 people — our biggest presence in the EU. To date, Gilead’s capital investment in Ireland has amounted to €250m, and we look forward to growing further, and attracting even more talented professionals to join us.
At the heart of this presence is the global manufacturing facility in Carrigtwohill, County Cork, which is responsible for 25% of our global solid oral drug production.
Environmental sustainability is crucial for us and, in line with Gilead’s global target of reducing emissions by 25% compared to 2016 and becoming carbon net neutral by 2030 en route to becoming carbon negative by 2050, we have taken major steps here in Ireland to reduce emissions while promoting renewable energy.
We have already reduced CO2 emissions at our Cork facility by 25% and are preparing for the installation of solar panels this year, while our Dublin warehouse has been powered by 100% renewable energy since 2020.
In Dublin, our North Dock office is now home to a new Global Development organisation focused specifically on the management of our paediatric clinical programmes.
Opened during the pandemic in 2020, this Paediatric Centre of Excellence is already working to help ensure that our medicines benefit patients of all ages.
Additionally, the North Dock office building was Dublin’s first commercial office to achieve “near zero energy building” status – which was a critical factor in our choice of location.
Ireland is a global hub for Gilead, and our teams are also working hard to meet the needs of Irish patients. Our virology medicines are being used to treat HIV and helping to eliminate hepatitis C and our haematology and oncology medicines are under assessment for
reimbursement.
We also have plans to increase our clinical trial site participation in Ireland to ensure we partner with and learn from medical experts here, often leaders in their field, on our next generation of therapies.
Our global passion translates into local action too. We work closely with HIV patient groups to support home testing pilots, educational programmes and outreach services. In hepatitis, we have been working with NGOs and other producers to help advance elimination efforts through improved screening and linkage to care.
Looking ahead, we all need to work together to support more rapid access to innovative therapies for Irish patients — many of which are produced here, given Ireland’s standing as a global powerhouse for pharmaceuticals.
The recent agreement between the Government and the Irish Pharmaceutical Healthcare Association (IPHA) is a welcome step forward, as was the provision of a €30m package for new drugs in Budget 2022.
The €90m Government commitment to Covid-19 antivirals also underlines the value of having access to the latest treatments as soon as possible.
In order to achieve the best care for patients at the best value for society, policymakers and producers need to continue to work together closely so that no patient is asked to wait or to travel abroad for the care they need.
Through working together, we can achieve a brighter future for patients and a healthier world for everyone. This is Gilead’s vision, and it is one in which Ireland will continue to play an enormously positive role.
Date of prep: Feb 2022; Job: UK-UNB-1621
