Astellas Pharma Inc. (TSE: 4503, President and CEO: Naoki Okamura, “Astellas”) has announced its intention to submit a planning application to build a new state-of-the-art facility, at an approximate cost of €330m in Tralee, Co. Kerry.

This investment by Astellas in Ireland will expand our capacity and capabilities for aseptic drug products, reinforce stable production for global supply and accelerate the development and commercialization of innovative antibody drugs and other new products.

Speaking of the announcement, Minister Simon Coveney TD said, “I very much welcome Astellas’ decision to build a new cutting-edge facility in Tralee. The substantial investment it will bring, coupled with the promise of highly specialised engineering, science and technology jobs, is of great importance for the southwest region. Astellas’ commitment to aligning the new facility with their ambitious sustainability targets and values, incorporating the highest national and international best practice in energy and environmental design, is commendable. It is also fully in keeping with the Government’s commitment to decarbonise our economy and society, as outlined in our White Paper on Enterprise 2022-30. I wish Astellas every success as they embark on this transformative project.”

The facility will be based on the Industrial Development Authority’s (IDA)* greenfield site in Kerry Technology Park, Tralee, bringing highly specialized engineering, science and technology roles to the region and helping to further the Astellas VISION to “be on the forefront of healthcare change to turn innovative science into VALUE for patients.”

Hideki Shima, Chief Manufacturing Officer at Astellas sais: “Astellas is developing innovative drugs and technologies based on our Focus Area research and development approach, placing patients at the forefront of everything we do. With the new facility, Astellas will aim to strengthen our in-house production capacity and capabilities and ensure a stable supply of high-quality Astellas medicines to patients around the world.”

Michael Lohan, CEO at IDA said: “This announcement from Astellas is excellent news for the South West region and indeed Ireland. Astellas already has a presence in both Kerry and Dublin and this significant investment of approximately €330 million, adding a new state-of-the-art aseptic drug product facility, underscores the strategic importance Ireland plays in Astellas’ global operations. The new facility in Tralee will be built with sustainability at its core and will showcase Ireland and our regional attractiveness as a location for investment.”

The new facility in Tralee will be built in line with Astellas’ ambitious sustainability targets and values incorporating the highest national and international best practice in energy and environmental design. The project aims to cut water use by about half, reduce operational energy intensity by more than one-third and produce zero waste to landfill (compared with LEED® baseline). These measures along with onsite renewable technology including solar PV panels and biomass boilers underpin Astellas’ efforts in the mitigation of climate change.

Astellas has already reflected the impact from this matter in its financial forecast of the current fiscal year ending March 31, 2024.

Outline of the new state-of-the-art facility in Tralee

1. Location: Kerry Technology Park, Tralee, Co. Kerry, Ireland
2. Site area approximately 44.7 acres.
3. Outline of manufacturing lines: 3-story building, total floor area of 17,000 square metres. Building footprint approximately 7,300 square metres
4. Subject to planning permission, construction will commence in 2024, with the site expected to be operational by 2028.

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