Japan headquartered Astellas Pharma has announced its intention to submit a planning application to build a new state-of-the-art facility, at an approximate cost of €330 million in Tralee, Co. Kerry in Ireland.

This investment by Astellas in Ireland will expand its capacity and capabilities for aseptic drug products, reinforce stable production for global supply and accelerate the development and commercialisation of innovative antibody drugs and other new products.

The facility will be based on the Industrial Development Authority’s (IDA) greenfield site in Kerry Technology Park, Tralee, bringing highly specialised engineering, science and technology roles to the region and helping to further the Astellas VISION to “be on the forefront of healthcare change to turn innovative science into VALUE for patients.”

The new facility in Tralee will be built in line with Astellas’ ambitious sustainability targets and values incorporating the highest national and international best practice in energy and environmental design. The project aims to cut water use by about half, reduce operational energy intensity by more than one-third and produce zero waste to landfill (compared with LEED baseline). These measures along with onsite renewable technology including solar PV panels and biomass boiler underpin Astellas’ efforts in the mitigation of climate change.