Interview with Padraig Somers, General Manager, Helsinn Birex
Mr. Somers, can you please introduce us to the Helsinn Group and its unique in-licensing model? Helsinn is a Swiss-based, private company owned by the Braglia family. The Braglias have…
Address: DA Industrial Park, Old Kilmeaden Road, Waterford,Ireland
Tel: 353 (0) 51 594100
Established in 2001, Genzyme Ireland is situated on a 37 acre site in Waterford. This multi phased Biopharmaceutical facility has a capital investment of over €400 million and employs over 450 personnel. It is a state-of-the-art facility for finishing of biopharmaceuticals and employs a high level of automation, including Manufacturing Execution Systems.
The Manufacturing operations in Waterford are focused on transforming Drug substances produced at a number of Genzyme facilities worldwide into Drug products along with Packaging these products into various forms for our patients needs in individual markets worldwide.
Mr. Somers, can you please introduce us to the Helsinn Group and its unique in-licensing model? Helsinn is a Swiss-based, private company owned by the Braglia family. The Braglias have…
Ms. Dickens, in our interview with your Sanofi colleague Jan Hendrix in Belgium last month, he commented that it is amazing how diversified this company has become in just the…
Can you give us a sense of the history of this company and its Irish roots? The company started life in the UK and has always been a GI franchise…
Mr. Hanlon, can you please begin by introducing Clonmel Healthcare to our readers? Clonmel Healthcare was founded by an Irish family in the 1970’s. During this time, its primary goal…
Mr. Hynds, you were personally instrumental in leading the establishment of Actavis in Ireland in 2008. You commented at the time, ‘Historically, Actavis grew by acquisition in other markets, but…
Mr. Martin, you were appointed as Genzyme’s GM for UK and Ireland last month after having spent a decade at the organization. Robin Kenselaar, Head of Genzyme EMEA, noted that…
Mr. Looney, what has it been like to run this business for 26 years? Looking back, what can you say that you have built? It has certainly been an exciting…
Dr. Coveney, what motivated you to start this company? I had been working for the multinationals for a number of years—Schering Plough, and a number of other organizations. In 1999,…
In 2008, MSD began building a human vaccine facility in Carlow—a 220MN EUR investment that the company expanded upon last year with an additional 7Mn EUR. What is the importance…
Mr. O’Leary, when an article in The Guardian last year profiled you and your work, it was titled “Resurrecting the Celtic Tiger.” More recently, Time Magazine put Taoiseach Enda Kenny…
To what extent do you believe Ireland has been successful in building the knowledge economy it set out to create during the 1980’s? I think we have been hugely successful—and…
This interview also features the comments of Geraldine Murphy, Managing Director of Leo Pharma, Ireland. Ms. Murphy, your transition to your current position was precipitated by a major refocusing that…
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