ALTANA OPENS NEW $86 MILLION PRODUCTION FACILITY

Altana Pharma has opened a new tablet production facility in Cork, Ireland, the company said.

The tablet manufacturing facility, located in the Carrigtohill Industrial Park, represents an investment of $86 million. At full operational level, 150 employees will be able to produce 3 billion tablets per year.

"The facility means that in addition to Oranienburg [in Germany], Altana Pharma will have a second state-of-the-art, high-quality manufacturing site for solid formulations meeting the strictest international standards," Altana CEO Hans-Joachim Lohrisch said. "This will provide greater flexibility and security in terms of supplying the market with our strategically important products."

Specifically, the new facility will complement the production site in Oranienburg as a second tabletting site for Altana's Pantoprazole, used in the treatment of acid-related gastrointestinal disorders.