Grange Castle is Pfizer's largest single investment in Ireland, a €1.8 billion biotechnology facility located on a 90-acre site in South County Dublin, with buildings and facilities extending to more than one million square feet. The development is one of the largest integrated biotechnology plants in the world and is part of the Pfizer Specialty Biotech manufacturing network. Construction of the facility commenced in 2000, and the site was licensed and officially opened in 2005. Principal manufacturing technologies include large-scale mammalian cell culture, protein purification, vaccines conjugation, and aseptic syringe filling.
The site manufactures biological active ingredients, which are used in parenteral products for the treatment of rheumatoid arthritis, psoriasis and ankylosing spondylitis, and in vaccines for the prevention of pneumococcal disease. The site also manufactures the finished vaccine drug product in pre-filled syringes. As well as commercial operations, Grange Castle is licensed for, and has manufactured investigational medicinal products for use in clinical trials.
Manufacturing at Grange Castle is supported by extensive Quality Control laboratory facilities, which also provide support to other global Pfizer manufacturing sites. Site central utilities support manufacturing through the provision of essential services such as water purification, heating, ventilation and air conditioning, management of plant infrastructure, and calibration and maintenance. Expansive on-site warehousing provides both ambient and cold storage for raw materials, intermediates, and finished products, as well as facilities for the weigh and dispense of materials for use in manufacturing. Administrative support comes from other departments such as human resources, business technology, organisational learning, regulatory affairs, occupational health, and finance.
Grange Castle has significant development operations, and benefitted from a major expansion of its development facility in 2007. This facility houses state-of-the-art pilot-plant, laboratories and equipment for the development of processes for production of many different types of biological drugs, including proteins and vaccines. In addition, Grange Castle is also home to scientists from Pfizer's biotherapeutics research organisation working on a number of drug discovery and optimisation projects in collaboration with other Pfizer research and development sites and various partners.
All of Grange Castle's manufacturing processes are subject to rigorous control to assure the quality of processes and products. This includes a comprehensive Quality Assurance system coupled with a series of stringent Quality Control tests to ensure that each batch meets its requirements for safe and effective patient use. In addition, the highest standards of environmental performance and a deep commitment to safety and corporate responsibility are part of the culture at Grange Castle. In 2011, Grange Castle joined with the other Pfizer Ireland Pharmaceuticals sites to win the prestigious Green Manufacturer Award in Ireland, and in 2012 Grange Castle won The Chemical & Pharmaceutical Manufacturer Award for its submission to the National Irish Safety Organisation safety awards scheme.