MeiraGTx’s Unveils Gene Therapy Manufacturing Facility in Shannon, Ireland
MeiraGTx Holdings will formally unveil its GMP manufacturing facility in Shannon, Ireland, with the Head of Irish Government, Micheál Martin, in attendance.
The facility, online since earlier this year and stretching over 150,000 square feet, is the first commercial-scale gene therapy manufacturing site in Ireland, according to MeiraGTx. The facility is unique in its scale and integrated capabilities. The site contains three facilities, one built to be flexible and scalable for viral vector production for clinical and commercial supply; a facility to manufacture plasmid DNA – the critical starting material for producing gene therapy products; and a Quality Control (QC) hub performing advanced biochemical quality control testing for MeiraGTx clinical and commercial programs.
The formal unveiling marks a critical step in MeiraGTx’s mission to develop and deliver potentially curative treatments for patients living with serious diseases. The Shannon site allows MeiraGTx to accelerate the development and delivery of gene therapy treatments to patients facing a wide range of both genetic and non-hereditary disorder—ranging from inherited vision loss, salivary-gland conditions, and neurological diseases such as Parkinson's, to potentially diabetes, obesity, and some cancers.
"By building end-to-end gene therapy development, testing and manufacturing capabilities in-house, MeiraGTx has put in place the infrastructure and technology required to avoid bottlenecks in clinical development, reduce regulatory risk, and ensure the highest quality products for patients – all while lowering costs. The facility will also allow MeiraGTx the ability to provide manufacturing services to potential collaborators, helping to lessen the impact of industry-wide shortages of vital elements such as plasmid DNA and quality control services," according to a company news release.
The facility, which is set to employ 100 people in its current phase, with the potential for that to increase to over 300, has been sited in Shannon due to its proximity to a number of world-class bioscience institutions, as well as partner companies in the healthcare sector.
“Today is an important day for MeiraGTx in Ireland, as we mark the formal unveiling of their state-of-the-art manufacturing facility. Great strides are being made in the area of gene therapy and I’ve no doubt that these new facilities will allow MeiraGTx to remain at the forefront of that development. Today’s unveiling is testament to the company’s continued commitment to Shannon and the Mid-West and speaks to the considerable skills and ability of the Irish workforce," Head of Irish Government Micheál Martin said in the news release.