€2 Million Investment And 10 Jobs Created At Westmeath Drug Testing Facility

Friday, 25 September 2020 06:52

The jobs are at both management and laboratory level.

A €2 million investment is being made in a drug testing facility in Westmeath.

10 jobs are being created in the process at Almac Sciences in Athlone.

Two of those are expert positions that have already been filled, with a further eight positions created across their operations on site.

Site Manager for Almac is Simon Cooks, he says the area was chosen for a number of reasons:

In a statement about the project, Almac Sciences said:

Simon Cocks has been appointed as Athlone Site Manager and, with a PhD in Analytical Chemistry from Loughborough University, brings over 25 years’ industry experience to the role.

Prior to joining Almac, he managed multifunctional/multisite technical and support teams within both the CRO/CDMO and pharmaceutical industries.

He is a chartered chemist and a Fellow of the Royal Society of Chemistry and brings with him a wealth of knowledge including discovery and development, manufacture, clinical analysis and commercial supply of both small and large molecules in all of the GxP regulatory sectors.

Pavan Kumar Kunala has been recruited as Biopharma Lab Manager, also based at Almac’s Athlone facility.

Pavan has a strong background in the field of analytical development for biologics, with over a decade of experience. In his previous roles at Intas Biopharmaceuticals and Pfizer, he was responsible for leading a team of scientists to support analytical method development, validation and overall CMC strategy for the advancement of early, late and commercial biologics.

Pavan holds a M.S. degree in Biological Sciences from Arkansas State University.

Speaking about the development, Dr John Robson, Vice President Analytical Operations at Almac Sciences, commented:

“Biologics have gained huge traction in the last decade and are poised for stronger growth in the coming years with potential to significantly impact patient lives. The launch of this service offering furthermore demonstrates Almac’s commitment to offering a best-in-class service to our global client base and in advancing human health. We are confident the addition of biologics testing solutions will continue to strengthen our competitive position in the marketplace.”