Alcon opens new ophthalmic pharmaceutical manufacturing plant in Singapore to respond to growing eye care needs in Asia
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Expanded manufacturing footprint in Asia provides more capacity to effectively meet growing eye care needs in Asia
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Facility will manufacture products for patients with dry eye, glaucoma, allergies and bacterial infections in the eye
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Strategically located in Singapore due to the robust biomedical presence, highly skilled and knowledgeable workforce and economic stability
Singapore, April 14, 2014 – Alcon, the global leader in eye care, officially opened the doors today to its new state-of-the-art ophthalmic pharmaceutical manufacturing facility in the Tuas Biomedical Park in Singapore. This new facility allows Alcon to be closer and quickly respond to its growing base of customers and patients throughout Asia, who rely on the Alcon portfolio of products for healthy vision.
"The need for quality eye care is increasing rapidly across Asia, as the population grows and ages," said Roy Acosta, Area President, Alcon Asia-Pacific. "With the opening of this new manufacturing facility, Alcon is making a strong investment in the future of our business in Asia, and ensuring that our innovative products are readily available to those who need them."
Construction on this 330,000 square foot facility began in 2009, and represents an investment of approximately S$200 million. The plant produces ophthalmic pharmaceutical products which address eye conditions such as glaucoma, dry eye, allergies and bacterial infections.
"Alcon has more than 20 manufacturing facilities around the world, which use state-of-the-art technology and adhere to the strictest quality standards," said Acosta. "We are proud to transfer those same capabilities to serve our customers right here in Asia with locally manufactured products."
Alcon already has experience in operating a manufacturing plant in Singapore. In 2005, the company opened a contact lens manufacturing facility in the Tuas Biomedical Park, to meet the growing demand for DAILIES® contact lenses. Singapore has proven to be an attractive manufacturing environment for Alcon.
"Singapore's robust biomedical presence, and the highly skilled and knowledgeable workforce made it easy to choose Singapore for our new site," said Christopher Snook, Country President Novartis Singapore and Head Novartis Group Country Management. "With the opening of this facility, we deepen our relationship with Singapore and strengthen the foundation for the long and very successful future Novartis sees in Singapore."
"Alcon's first ophthalmic pharmaceutical manufacturing facility in Singapore further strengthens our position as a global biomedical hub. To support this growing sector, Singapore will continue to work with companies to develop dedicated infrastructure, industry-ready talent and new manufacturing capabilities. We look forward to deepening our partnership with Alcon and Novartis to create good jobs and exciting careers in Singapore," said Mr. Yeoh Keat Chuan, Managing Director of the Economic Development Board.
The products manufactured at the new Alcon facility address some of the most widespread eye care needs in the region, such as glaucoma.
"Glaucoma is a group of eye diseases that lead to progressive damage of the optic nerve,1 and is projected to affect nearly 80 million people worldwide by 2020.2,3 If left untreated, it leads to irreversible blindness," said Professor Tin Aung, Executive Director, Singapore Eye Research Institute. "In Singapore, glaucoma is a leading cause of blindness4, and is expected to become an even more serious problem in the future."
To ensure that each product manufactured is of the highest quality, Alcon adheres to the strictest of regulatory and statutory requirements. Through a comprehensive quality management system, Alcon is able to test and monitor all manufacturing processes, and all of its products pass rigorous inspections prior to shipment.
Currently, the facility employs approximately 150 associates, and is expected to continue to grow as production increases.
About Alcon
Alcon, the global leader in eye care, provides innovative products that enhance quality of life by helping people worldwide see better. The three Alcon businesses - Surgical, Pharmaceutical and Vision Care - offer the widest spectrum of eye care products in the world. Alcon is the second largest division of the Novartis Group, with pro-forma sales of USD 10.5 billion in 2013. Headquartered in Fort Worth, Texas, USA, Alcon has more than 25,000 employees worldwide, operations in 75 countries and products available in 180 markets. For more information, visit www.alcon.com.
References
- American Optometric Association. Glaucoma. http://www.aoa.org/Glaucoma.xml.
- International Agency for the Prevention of Blindness. Glaucoma. http://www.iapb.org/vision-2020/what-is-avoidable-blindness/glaucoma.
- Quigley and Broman, The number of people with glaucoma worldwide in 2010 and 2020. Br J Ophthalmol 2006;90:262-7.
Alcon Media Relations
Novartis Media Relations
Mathew Thomas
Novartis Country Head, Government Affairs & Communication
+65 6722 6145 (office)
+65 9068 7108(mobile)