GE Healthcare, the pharmaceutical giant, has announced the launch of a new production line at its Carrigtwohill, Co Cork site, which will generate 140 jobs.
The new €30.5 million production line at the company’s Carrigtwohill location will produce injectable diagnostic imaging agents used in X-ray and CT procedures worldwide.
For the Cork site, the pharma giant is now employing project managers, operatives, engineers, quality control experts, and facilities management.
The new employment are part of GE Healthcare’s commitment to meet the rising demand for these iodinated contrast media products, which are used to improve medical imaging processes.
“We expect global demand for iodinated contrast media to double over the next 10 years due to the growth of CT imaging procedures,” said GE Healthcare pharmaceutical diagnostics president and CEO Kevin O’Neill.
“As an industry leader, we understand our responsibility to help meet this growing demand from customers and patients and this new production line is part of our wider commitment to produce 30m more patient doses of contrast media annually by 2025.”
Michael McGrath, TD, Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform, officially opened the production line on October 14.
McGrath said GE Healthcare has “consistently invested” in manufacturing in Cork, combining state-of-the-art technology, global best pharma practices and a “highly qualified workforce”.
“Today’s opening represents yet another vote of confidence in Cork as a location for pharmaceutical manufacturing,” McGrath said.
The pharmaceutical diagnostics division of the company develops and produces imaging agents that are used to assist more than 100 million procedures worldwide each year. The new manufacturing line is projected to increase Cork’s production capacity by more than 50% by 2025.
The Carrigtwohill facility of GE Healthcare opened in 1993 and presently employs 765 employees. In 2015, the business announced a $40 million investment in the location, with the goal of creating 140 new jobs and doubling manufacturing capacity.
The most recent facility expansion took place over a 24-month period, with BioPharma Engineering leading the design and project management and MMD Construction completing the construction.