Commercial agent CBRE will launch an international campaign to find a buyer for a world-class biotech vaccine manufacturing complex in Sligo. The facility has been operated since 2010 by Elanco Animal Health, a division of pharma giant Eli Lilly, which announced early last year that it was to close the plant with the loss of 100 jobs.
The complex consists of three separate facilities. The largest is a manufacturing plant that has been carefully decommissioned with specialist plant and equipment remaining in situ and allowing a rapid ramp-up time for future operators. The building extends to 3,661sq m (39,407sq ft) on a 4.4-acre site.
A quality control building close by in the IDA-sponsored Finisklin Business Park has a floor area of 509sq m (5,479sq ft). There is also the adjacent Fort Gary-leased facilities with a three-storey office block and a packaging area extending to 4,739sq m (51,014sq ft). The offices offer a high-quality finish, including raised access floors and air conditioning.
John Reynolds of CBRE would not quote a guide price, saying the agent would “welcome proposals from interested parties”. He cited limited opportunities to acquire top tier vaccine manufacturing sites with similar capability and capacity.
Ireland is home to nine of the top 10 pharmaceutical companies in the world and exports more than €39 billion in pharma produce annually.
