Awards. Image: Stone36/Shutterstock
Amgen took home top prize at the Pharma Industry Awards yesterday (13 October), awarded both biopharma and overall pharma industry company of the year.
One year after Amgen opened the doors to its $300m facility in Dún Laoghaire, the company’s presence in Ireland has been rewarded with two major gongs.
Taking the award for biopharma company of the year as well as the overall pharma industry company of the year, Amgen saw off competition from the likes of Pfizer, APC, BMS and Alkermes to land the prizes.
Amgen’s five-year revamp of the old Pfizer building in Dún Laoghaire was completed in August 2015, and saw the construction of an 11,500sq m production plant and a 5,800sq m cold chain warehouse to complement the space already there.
Pfizer won the pharma company of the year award, making 2016 a big one for the US business. In August, Pfizer’s $14bn move to bring Medivation under its wing added yet another string to the pharma giant’s bow, with major drug Xtandi coming into Pfizer’s ownership through the deal.
Expected to “immediately accelerate revenue growth”, Pfizer’s multi-billion dollar deal values Medivation at $81.50 a share.
Xtandi, the latter’s landmark drug, targets prostate cancer by acting as an androgen receptor inhibitor within the tumour cell.
Meanwhile, its Grange Castle operation took the biotech company of the year – three months after a major expansion was revealed.
According to The Irish Times, the company has filed an environmental impact statement (EIS) for a two-phase expansion at the facility which will see it add a further 34,500sq m in total, as part of an investment worth at least €300m.
Barry O’Leary, former CEO of IDA, received the pharma leader prize, in recognition of his outstanding contribution to the growth of the sector in Ireland.
The full list of winners comprises of:
- Pharma industry company of the year: Amgen Technology Ireland
- Pharma leader: Barry O’Leary
- Pharma company of the year (large): Pfizer
- Pharma company of the year (SME): APC
- Biopharma company of the year: Amgen Technology Ireland
- Biotech company of the year: Pfizer Grange Castle
- Innovation of the year: Hydra’Range – Kora Healthcare
- Pharma project of the year (large): Clinical commercial suite – Alkermes Pharma Ireland
- Pharma project of the year (small): Meloxicam Granules – Chanelle Group
- Operational excellence award: Continous improvement journey – Pfizer Ringaskiddy
- Responsible care award: Astellas Kerry
- Health & safety award: Safety culture transformation programme – BMS Swords
- Sustainability initiative of the year: Changing tomorrow – Astellas Kerry
- R&D achievement award: selectAZyme – Almac Group
- Partnership alliance of the year: BMS Cruiserath Biologics & NIBRT
- Communications award: Pfizer Health Index – Pfizer
- CSR programme of the year: AbbVie in Ireland
- Pharma education & training award: NIBRT
- Pharma research centre of the year: Synthesis and Solid State Pharmaceutical Centre
- Pharma contract services company of the year: ICON
- Pharma supplier of the year: LotusWorks
