Drug packaging specialist West Pharmaceutical Services has become the first big-name multinational to announce an investment in Ireland following the US presidential election that saw Donald Trump returned to power on a platform that includes bringing manufacturing by US firms back to the United States.
The company, headquartered in the key swing state of Pennsylvania, has announced the creation of 330 jobs in a significant expansion of its Dublin manufacturing base. The move will see its Irish workforce increase by more than a quarter.
West specialises in solutions for the administration of medicines by injection. Its latest expansion is driven by the dramatic increase in demand for injectable treatments for diabetes and obesity.
There has been a surge in demand for obesity therapies since Ozempic, a type 2 diabetes drug made by Danish Group Novo Nordisk, was found to be an effective treatment for weight loss following its 2017 launch and subsequent celebrity endorsements from high-profile Hollywood figures.
Novo Nordisk and Eli Lilly, the two companies leading the charge on obesity therapy, are both under significant pressure to increase supplies.
Eli Lilly in September formally opened an $800 million expansion of its Kinsale facility in Cork to try to meet demand for the company’s obesity medications, while Novo Nordisk acquired the former Elan Drug Technologies plant in Athlone and an 85-acre site in west Dublin last year as it ramps up production.
West said the expansion of its Damastown contract manufacturing site, including construction of a 165,000sq ft building on the site, “reflects West’s strategy of meeting its customers’ growing needs with both product and service offerings”.
West saw profits at its Irish business jump by 63 per cent to €78.3 million in 2022, the last year for which figures are available, on the back of a 24 per cent rise in sales.
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“Our Dublin facility has been in operation for over 25 years with sustained growth and we are excited to grow our team and expand our capabilities for our valued customers,” said Tom Clarke, vice-president operations, contract manufacturing at West, who said the latest investment “reinforces the importance of West’s Irish operations to the company’s global strategy”.
“This expansion of our site in Dublin is an example of West’s commitment to co-innovation and co-development with our customers to help them achieve their mission of advancing and delivering critical treatments to patients,” he said. Recruitment had already begun for positions across areas including automation, process, validation, quality and maintenance engineers and technicians, he said, as well as production supervisors and operators, toolmakers and operations leads.
Michael Lohan, chief executive of IDA Ireland which is supporting the expansion, said: “The creation of these 330 new jobs by West is a significant boost to our medical device and healthcare ecosystem. This investment highlights the strength of our medical technology sector and reinforces our commitment to fostering innovation and growth in the industry.”
West employs more than 1,200 people at plants in Dublin and Waterford, where the company specialises in finishing rubber bungs used with vaccines – a business that expanded significantly during the Covid pandemic.
Emer Higgins, Minister of State for Enterprise, Trade and Employment, welcomed the jobs announcement. “I understand that recruitment is already under way for numerous roles, including engineers, technicians and operators, all providing fantastic job opportunities for local residents, and indeed graduates of the nearby Technological University.”
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