Merck Invests in Formulation R&D and Manufacturing Facility in Ireland

Dublin, Ireland (Nov. 6)-Merck Sharp & Dohme (Ireland) Ltd., a wholly owned subsidiary of Merck & Co, Inc. (Whitehouse Station, NJ, www.merck.com) plans to establish a formulation-research-and-development and manufacturing facility at its plant in Ballydine, Ireland, according to the Industrial Development Agency Ireland (IDA Ireland, Dublin, www.idaireland.com). IDA Ireland is an Irish government agency responsible for securing new investment from overseas in manufacturing and internationally traded services.

Merck is investing €100 million ($128 million) in the project. The R&D center will develop platforms for the formulation of products used in late-stage clinical trials. The new pharmaceutical manufacturing facility will allow the Ballydine plant to produce tablets and capsules for a number of new products in late-stage clinical trials and for new products. The project will create 120 new positions over the next three years, including roughly 60 R&D positions. The Ballydine facility currently includes a large-scale plant for producing active pharmaceutical ingredients.

“This investment is essential to Merck's commercialization initiative that will bring new medicines to market more quickly and flexibly,” said Michael P. Thien, vice-president of global pharmaceutical commercialization for Merck, in an IDA Ireland release.