Biotech company MeiraGTx has formally opened its gene therapy manufacturing facility in Shannon.
The facility has the potential to create 100 jobs in its current phase, with plans to increase this to 300 over time. Currently, there are 75 people employed at the facility and MeiraGTx is recruiting for positions in engineering, QA, and manufacturing and supply.
The 150,000-square-foot facility will enable MeiraGTx to accelerate the development and delivery of gene therapy treatments to patients. The treatments will focus on those facing a range of both genetic and non-hereditary disorders, such as inherited vision loss, salivary-gland conditions, and neurological diseases such as Parkinson’s.
The facility will produce viral vectors, which introduce genetic material into cells, as well as plasmid DNA, an essential precursor in the development of viral vector technology.
The building will also house a quality control center for cutting-edge biomedical quality testing.
MeiraGTx also has locations in New York, London, and Amsterdam.