Amgen expands operations, invests $1 billion in facilities in Ireland

By Lisa Kerner

Erie, Pa., Jan. 24 - Amgen announced several planned investments in additional manufacturing and research and development operations in the United States and Europe as well as expansion of its commercial operations, according to a company news release.

Amgen said it intends to invest more than $1 billion in new process development, bulk manufacturing and fill and finish facilities in Cork, Ireland, to better serve its patients in Europe. Amgen expects to employ more than 1,100 people at its new Ireland facility by 2010.

The company is adding a manufacturing plant in Puerto Rico to produce Epogen (Epoetin alfa) and Aranesp (darbepoetin alfa).

In 2005, Amgen received licensure of a Neupogen (Filgrastim) and Neulasta (pegfilgrastim) plant in Puerto Rico and an Enbrel (etanercept) plant in Rhode Island. The company also announced plans to acquire Abgenix, Inc., a biopharmaceutical company with a manufacturing plant in Fremont, Calif.

Amgen said it intends to expand its existing research and development operations in Cambridge, Mass., San Francisco, Seattle and Cambridge, U.K., and build a new development center in Uxbridge, U.K.

The company has moved its European headquarters from Lucerne to Zug, Switzerland. Amgen International, a newly formed entity also located in Zug, is expected to enhance access to Amgen's medicines for patients in emerging markets in Central and Southeast Asia, Africa and Latin America.

Amgen plans start-up activities in Russia, Mexico and Brazil and to expand its commercial activities into Eastern Europe, Central and Southeast Asia, Africa and Latin America.

Amgen said it has invested more than $3 billion to enhance its manufacturing capabilities and added more than 4,000 operations jobs in the United States since 2001.

Amgen said it is also launching a major global expansion of its R&D efforts in a number of scientific hubs throughout the world to support its pipeline.

The company also anticipates future expansion in Japan, Australia, Canada and other locations.

"This significant, long-term investment in our global R&D infrastructure underscores the commitment of Amgen to be the world's best human therapeutics company," Roger M. Perlmutter, executive vice president, research and development, said in the release.

Biotechnology company Amgen discovers, develops and delivers innovative human therapeutics. Its U.S. headquarters is in Thousand Oaks, Calif.

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