Minister visits Athlone Laboratories’ critical medicine facility

Minister for Enterprise, Tourism and Employment Peter Burke, and representatives from IDA Ireland, visited Athlone Laboratories recently to consult with key figures on a vision for Ireland’s future in the domestic manufacturing of critical medicines.

Peter Burke, Minister for Enterprise, Tourism and Employment; Rory Mullen, Head of BioPharma and Food at IDA Ireland; and Noeleen Hussey, Regional Manager – West Region, IDA Ireland met with the Athlone Laboratories leadership team on March 2 to discuss the future of domestic critical medicines in Ireland, with a focus on Beta-Lactams.

Beta-Lactams are an essential class of antibiotics that are vital for patient care and health systems. Through the Critical Medicines Act, the European Medicines Agency (EMA) prioritises their supply and availability, to ensure they remain available and accessible to patients.

Established in 1974, Athlone Laboratories, located in Ballymurray, Roscommon, was acquired by Gaelic Laboratories in December. Both specialise in the manufacture of Beta-Lactam antibiotics. Athlone has been manufacturing Beta-Lactams on this site for more than 40 years, and its recent acquisition by Gaelic Laboratories – another GMP-approved manufacturer of Beta-Lactams – only adds to both companies’ security and resilience, the company said. Athlone’s leadership team was pleased to offer a tour of the Athlone site, including a Centre of Excellence that provides local and global technical support, and dedicated facilities for the manufacture of Beta-Lactams in various oral forms.

Brian Morrisey, General Manager, said: “As both companies contribute to the supply chain for Beta-Lactam antibiotics, we can leverage many operational synergies. We have the overall annual capacity to produce 1.2 billion oral Beta-Lactam oral dosage forms.”

Peter Burke, as Minister for Enterprise, has been instrumental in the implementation of the Critical Medicines Act in Ireland. By strengthening the EU's supply chains and improving coordination between member states, the Act seeks to ensure that European patients have access to the medicines they need. Speaking at the meeting, Minister Burke said: “I’m looking forward to working closely with Athlone Laboratories over the coming period, as they contribute to Ireland’s vibrant Life Sciences sector here in the Midlands. Ireland is home to nine of the world’s ten largest pharmaceutical companies and manufactures a substantial share of the world’s most widely used medicines.

Rory Mullen, Head of BioPharma at IDA Ireland, said Athlone Laboratories’ commitment to manufacturing critical medicines like Beta-Lactams “strengthens our national supply chain and supports patient care across Europe and beyond”.