Irish ayes: Lilly goes ahead with bioproduction expansion, adding 130 jobs

09-May-2017 - Last updated on 10-May-2017 at 12:36 GMT

Image: iStock/jamegaw

Eli Lilly has confirmed it will build a three-story biomanufacturing facility at its site in Kinsale three months after rumours the project had been put on hold.

US drugmaker Eli Lilly sought permission from County Cork Council to construct a three-story facility housing an additional production line at its bioproduction site in Kinsale, Ireland back in October.

And today the firm confirmed the project has been approved, leading to a spike in jobs at the site.

“The site is expected to require up to 130 additional staff by 2020, and those manufacturing jobs will be a mix of operations and technical support staff,” Lilly spokesman Ger Kenny told Biopharma-Reporter.com.

He added a further 350 jobs will be required throughout the construction phase.

The confirmation comes three months after reports in both national and trade media saying the project had been placed on hold ahead of proposed changes to US tax laws will make pharmaceutical imports more expensive.

A Lilly spokeswoman at the time rebuffed this, telling us reports the investment had halted in response to the proposed changes were the result of “people writing what they want to write,” and the firm was yet to have made a decision on expanding the site.

While some media outlets have said the expansion will cost Lilly around €200m ($212m), Ger told us the firm is “not confirming a figure for the investment at this point.”