Altana gets prime ministerial welcoming for Irish factory

Altana, the German pharmaceutical company, has officially opened its new tablet production plant in Ireland.

Opened in front of the Irish prime minister, Bertie Ahern, the new Cork-based facility will be able to produce three billion tablets a year when it reaches full capacity. The factory currently employs 56 people, but will employ 150 when full operational levels are reached.

Costing 67 million euros (46.4 million pounds), Altana’s Cork produces Pantoprazole, the treatment for acid-related gastrointestinal disorders, to meet rising demand and to supplement the supply of tablets from the company’s Oranienburg facility in Germany.

At the opening ceremony, Mr Ahern said: “We are delighted that Altana Pharma chose Cork as the second hub in its global manufacturing strategy. I am very pleased that the company has a particularly strong emphasis on research and development.”

“This is a great day for Carrigtohill, for the pharmaceutical industry and for Cork,” he added.

Dr Hans-Joachim Lohrisch, chief executive officer of Altana Pharma, stated: “The facility in Cork means that in addition to Oranienburg (Germany) Altana Pharma will have a second state-of-the-art, high-quality manufacturing site for solid formulations meeting the strictest international standards”

“This will provide greater flexibility and security in terms of supplying the market with our strategically important products,” he concluded.

In 2005, Altana reported worldwide sales Pantoprazole of 2.77 billion euros. The company also has other products such as Alvesco, an anti-inflammatory drug for the respiratory tract, and Ebrantil, a high blood pressure drug.

Additionally, the company, which employs over 8,800 people, offers services in the medical imaging sector.

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