Reportedly 150 of the new roles generated by the deal will be at the newly acquired Dundalk facility.

US multinational pharmaceutical company MSD has today (6 January) announced the acquisition of WuXi Vaccines, a Dundalk biotechnology company and subsidiary of China-based WuXi Biologics. The acquisition signifies an investment of more than €500m and comes off the back of a €1bn investment into its Carlow Town and Dunboyne sites.  

MSD currently employs roughly 3,000 professionals across Ireland, in eight locations and its latest acquisition will enable it to hire a further 1,000 people in counties Carlow, Cork, Dublin, Louth, Meath and Tipperary in the coming years.  

The newly acquired Dundalk site is a three-story vaccine manufacturing facility designed for drug substance manufacturing, drug product manufacturing and quality control in relation to the global supply of vaccine products. Currently 200 people work at the Dundalk premises, with 150 of the future roles to be located here. 

The acquisition is expected to be completed within the first half of 2025 and will become the latest branch of MSD’s large-scale pharma manufacturing, research, and development sites across the country, namely, MSD Ballydine, MSD Brinny, MSD Carlow, MSD Dunboyne and MSD Biotech, Dublin.

Speaking about the announcement, Taoiseach Simon Harris, TD, said, “Today’s announcement is highly welcome news and is a tremendous vote of confidence in the people of Dundalk and Co. Louth. MSD is a long-standing partner to Ireland and has shown an unwavering commitment both to the country and to its drive to innovate.

“The acquisition of the Dundalk facility, along with the company’s plans to add 150 additional jobs to it, as part of an overall increase of 1,000 positions across its Irish operations in the coming years will play an important role in its development and delivery of innovative products that will improve the lives of millions of people around the world.”

Additionally, Samantha Humphreys, the managing director of MSD Ireland Human Health, said, “Our company’s continued ambition to expand MSD’s Irish footprint is a testament to the unique ecosystem around us and in particular speaks to the passion, commitment and talent of our existing 3,000-strong workforce and what they have been able to accomplish for our global network, from MSD Ireland to the world. 

“I am very proud to be part of this exciting new chapter as we continue to expand, adding new capabilities and challenging ourselves to look at the health requirements of the future.”

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