L-R: Brian Morrissey, General Manager, Michael Gately, Head of Operations and Declan Hoare, Head of Quality meet with the Minister for Enterprise, Tourism and Employment, Peter Burke, and representatives from IDA Ireland
Athlone Laboratories has hosted Minister for Enterprise, Tourism and Employment Peter Burke, and representatives from IDA Ireland.
Minister Burke, along with Rory Mullen, Head of BioPharma and Food and Noeleen Hussey, Regional Manager – West Region, both at IDA Ireland, met with Athlone’s leadership team to discuss the domestic manufacturing of critical medicines in Ireland.
At the top of the agenda for the Minister and the representatives from IDA Ireland – the investment promotion agency that helps multinational companies grow and expand into Ireland – was Beta-lactams, a widely prescribed class of antibiotics used to manage and treat bacterial infections.
Beta-lactams are an essential class of antibiotics that are vital for patient care and health systems that have been manufactured at the Athlone site for over 40 years. Through the Critical Medicine’s Act, the EMA prioritises their supply and availability to ensure they remain available and accessible to patients.
Athlone Laboratories and its sister company, Gaelic Laboratories, are among the companies in Ireland specialising in the manufacture of Beta-lactam antibiotics. Both companies are GMP-approved and both play a significant role in Ireland’s contract manufacturing for critical medicines.
Brian Morrisey, General Manager, said: “As both companies contribute to the supply chain for Beta-lactam antibiotics, we can leverage many operational synergies. The two companies can coordinate manufacturing resources to support supply continuity.
“We have the overall annual capacity to produce 1.2 billion oral Beta-lactam oral dosage forms.”
As Minister for Enterprise, Peter Burke has been instrumental in the implementation of the Critical Medicines Act in Ireland. The Act aims to address the EU’s challenges with the security of supply of critical medicines, including antibiotics. By strengthening the EU’s supply chains and improving coordination between member states, the Act seeks to ensure that European patients have access to the medicines they need.
Speaking at the meeting, Minister Burke said: “Ireland is home to nine of the world’s ten largest pharmaceutical companies and manufactures a substantial share of the world’s most widely used medicines, solidifying our country’s role as a centre for pharmaceutical manufacturing and innovation.”
Rory Mullen, Head of BioPharma at IDA Ireland, said: “Athlone Laboratories is a key contributor to Ireland’s reputation as a global centre for pharmaceutical innovation. Their commitment to manufacturing critical medicines like Beta-lactams strengthens our national supply chain and supports patient care across Europe and beyond.”