Pfizer's ($PFE) good news to Ireland this week that it will spend $200 million to upgrade a biopharma site does more than boost capacity for its successful arthritis treatment Enbrel and the pneumococcal vaccine Prevenar 13. The pharma giant is also using the opportunity to beef up its QA/QC capabilities.
The Grange Castle facility will expand its role as a center for quality control analytical testing, reports in-Pharma Technologist. It will provide for release testing, and will be equipped for helping Pfizer meet its commitment to process analytic technology (PAT) and quality by design, the story says.
Pfizer has been aggressively pursuing PAT, in one case hiring a consultant to automate processes to collect and transmit the necessary multi-dimensional manufacturing data for analysis. PAT implementation is known to be expensive, but the technology promises process efficiency and a certain comfort level among regulators.
The site employs about 1,100 full-time staff, while Pfizer employees number about 4,300 across 8 locations in Ireland, according to siliconrepublic.
- see the story from in-Pharma Technologist
- here's the siliconrepublic item