Takeda divesting former-Shire $400m plant with 200 staff in Ireland

Takeda has identified a biomanufacturing facility in Dunboyne, Ireland as no longer required in a strategic review of its production network following the acquisition of Shire.

In January 2019, Takeda completed its $62 billion (€56 billion) acquisition of Shire. As part of its integration, the firm said it intended to divest up to 25% of the combined business.

Part of this strategy includes a biologics facility in Dunboyne, County Meath Ireland.

Image: iStock/Harvepino

“A strategic review of Takeda’s global biologics manufacturing network, initiated following the acquisition of Shire, identified that production capacity at Dunboyne is no longer required,” Takeda spokesperson Freeha Refiq told this publication.

“There are approximately 200 employees on site and as the site will be divested as a going concern, no redundancies are envisaged as a result of this decision.”

Two products are made at the plant Refiq said, without divulging more information. However, the “manufacture of the two products will continue elsewhere at other facilities,” we were told.

Shire commissioned the facility in 2016 through a $400 million investment. The plant, which was only began production last year, was intended to be Shire’s first biomanufacturing site outside the US.

At the time, a Shire spokesperson told this journalist: “The Ireland site will be capable of manufacturing a broad range of our biologics products, such as our enzyme replacement therapies.”

Refiq was unable to comment at this stage on any potential bidders for the plant, but said:

“Dunboyne Biologics is a state of the art, flexible biologics facility with leading-edge capability, a highly skilled workforce, and is an attractive asset for a future buyer.”

The divestment will also not affect Takeda’s other sites in Ireland, which will continue to operate as usual. Takeda has biomanufacturing plants in Grange Castle, Dublin, and Bray, County Wicklow.