Allergan opens new €160m. facility in Westport

ALLERGAN has opened a new €160m biologics plant in Westport with the creation of 63 jobs.

Allergan said its expansion will allow it to ramp up manufacturing of its flagship products. 

The new Westport facility features a microbiology and cell-based laboratory with leading technology and research and development capabilities to support advances in discovery, development and manufacturing.  

Allergan recently marked the shipping of the 100 millionth vial of Botox from Westport coinciding with the 30th anniversary of the product first receiving FDA approval.

Allergan employs about 2,000 people in Ireland.

It opened its Westport plant on a greenfield IDA site in 1977, with just 25 employees.

Paul Coffey, managing director, Allergan Westport, stated: "With the addition of a new microbiology and cell-based laboratory, the team here in Westport are looking forward to contributing to product innovations that will make a difference to patients’ lives all over the world.

 “Our primary role in Westport is manufacturing, but we are also heavily involved in the late-stage development of new products that Allergan have in the pipeline.

"We would be hopeful that a number of those products will end up getting launched and supplied out of the Westport site.”