The first vaccination factory for Irish pharmaceutical company Normax Biomed will be located in Dublin Airport Logistics Park.
The company recently received a funding commitment of €300 million to develop low-cost mRNA vaccines globally. Normax stated that it intended to open a facility in Cork that would generate up to 200 jobs at the time of this investment.
Peter Jensen, the company’s founder, now plans to invest €30 million in the construction of a Normax facility in Dublin. The company claimed that the investment would result in the creation of hundreds of jobs, and it intended to fill these positions with residents of the area.
“Our plans to build our first vax factory on Dublin Airport Logistics Park is a milestone in our ongoing journey of innovation and our growing footprint in Ireland,” said Jensen.
He added that the team is in conversation with Rohan Holdings about the company’s plans for the site. The Dublin Airport Logistics Park is already a base for several other companies including Geodis and DHL.
Normax’s new facility will become part of the 150 acre development, providing easy access to many international locations due to its close proximity to Dublin Airport, the port tunnel, the M50 and the M1.
“We believe this site can enable Normax with a platform to deliver research and development of mRNA vaccines for Covid, TB, HIV and malaria, whilst investing and deploying modular mRNA vaccine factories in up to 100 locations,” said Jensen.
As well as its work on a universal coronavirus mRNA vaccine, Normax is developing mRNA vaccine R&D and manufacturing strategies for tuberculosis and HIV, with the goal to end transmission of these infectious diseases by 2050.
“In the event of another public health emergency, we are also committed to delivering future mRNA vaccines in 100 days, to help ensure that Covid-19 is the last pandemic we will all suffer through. Pathogens are inevitable, but diseases are not,” Jensen said.