Bristol Myers Squibb has formally announced a $400 million investment towards the build and design of a Sterile Drug Product (SDP) facility at its Dublin 15 Cruiserath Campus.
The facility will support the manufacturing and supply of existing medicines as well as serve as a launch excellence facility for pipeline assets. This will be Bristol Myers Squibb’s first European SDP facility for biologics manufacturing.
As part of Bristol Myers Squibb efforts to support the commercial and pipeline portfolio, across a range of therapeutic areas including oncology, immunology, and hematology, it is anticipated that there will be a further 350 roles created in Ireland as part of this investment, bringing the total number of Bristol Myers Squibb direct employees at the campus to over 1,000.
The project is currently in design phase with construction expected to commence shortly, now that planning approval has been received, for completion in 2026.
Adding to existing biologic manufacturing operations for bulk drug substance, this new investment, and the roles created, will significantly expand manufacturing and laboratory capacity in Cruiserath as the campus adds new technologies and capabilities supporting sterile drug product manufacturing.
The co-location for drug substance and drug product manufacturing alongside existing global testing capabilities offers significant strategic agility to the global supply of medicinal products to patients from the BMS commercial brands and clinical pipeline.
Padraig Keane, Vice President, Cruiserath Biologics, said: “This is significant news and a proud day at Cruiserath Biologics as this SDP facility strengthens not only our capabilities on campus, but allows us to be agile and responsive to patient needs across the globe. This investment will expand our capacity for aseptic drug products, reinforce stable production for global supply, and accelerate the development and commercialisation of innovative biologic therapies alongside other pipeline medicines.
“This year we celebrate 60 years of BMS in Ireland, and across our three sites in Ireland we continue to play a critical role in the global production, development, and supply network.”
Michael Lohan, CEO of IDA Ireland, said: “Bristol Myer Squibb’s decision to invest $400 million at their Cruiserath campus along with 350 new jobs is most welcome news and underscores the strategic importance of Ireland in their global operations. It is proof of the company’s future commitment to Ireland and a testament to Ireland’s continued attractiveness as a location for biopharma investment.”
Karin Shanahan, EVP, Global Product Development and Supply, who leads the company’s global manufacturing network, including Cruiserath, added: “The Cruiserath Biologics site will continue to play a crucial role in our company’s success moving forward. Coupled with the breadth of knowledge and expertise of our employees, this sterile drug product site, co-partnered alongside our Biologics facility, will allow us to further enhance our operations as we strive to get more medicines to more patients faster.
“Our workforce is truly committed to discovering, developing, and delivering innovative medicines that help patients prevail over serious diseases and I’m proud to be a part of this historic day for our Irish footprint.”
For more information, visit www.bms.com/ie.
