Pfizer to invest €11M in Irish R&D Lab

Pfizer is to invest over €11 million in setting up an R&D Technology Laboratory at its Ringaskiddy site in Cork, Ireland, with support from the inward investment agency IDA Ireland.

The new laboratory, currently under construction, will be a dedicated R&D facility within the Process Development Centre at the site, to research, develop and create new manufacturing technology for Pfizer facilities around the world.  

The aim is to move from batch production of pharmaceuticals to continuous processing. Rather than the chemical reactions involved in the production of active pharmaceutical ingredients taking place once per cycle, followed by extraction and purification, continuous ‘chemistry in a pipe’ allows for continuous extraction. Continuous processing technology will greatly reduce the costs of production.

Pfizer made its first investment in Ireland forty years ago. Over 550 people are employed at Ringaskiddy, which consists of four bulk pharmaceutical plants producing a range of material for many of the company’s major products. In all, Pfizer has eight operations in Ireland employing a total of 2,000 people.

Paul Duffy, VP Pfizer Manufacturing Ireland/Singapore, said the decision to invest was based on, “Technical competence with similar projects and the successful completion of a number of R&D programmes […] This decision demonstrates a clear commitment by Pfizer to growing the R&D capability at the centre as an integral part of our corporate R&D strategy, which is focusing on the development of new, innovative products and developing less costly and more efficient second generation processes of existing products.”