Site visit allows Tánaiste to see first-hand ground-breaking respiratory product development underway at their R&D Centre of Excellence

Waterford facility’s work in developing ‘smart inhalers’ showcased during visit

The Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade Simon Coveney paid a visit to Teva Waterford recently.

The Waterford site is focussed upon the research, development and production of next generation products for the treatment of respiratory conditions.

The visit to the facility formed part of a wider series of events undertaken by the Tánaiste across the county and culminated in an address by the Tánaiste to the Waterford Chamber Annual Dinner.

Teva’s Waterford facility, located in the Waterford Industrial Estate, has been in operation since 1985 and currently employs 610 people from the county and surrounding areas.

The facility is recognised as a global leader, not just in the Teva network but in the wider pharmaceutical industry, in the development of next generation respiratory products used in the treatment of asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). Today the facility manufactures and exports products with a net value of over €1 billion to markets across the globe.

The Tánaiste’s delegation included Frank Ryan, Chairman of the IDA Ireland, Shay Power, VP Pharmaceuticals Development, IDA Ireland and Brendan McDonald, South East Regional Manager, IDA Ireland, who were greeted and given a tour of the facility by Teva management including Julian Blair, Vice President – R&D, Andy Crowley, General Manager & Managing Director, Teva Waterford and Paddy McMahon Director of HR.

The Tánaiste’s visit, overall, had a clear emphasis on acknowledging the significant achievements already realised by local pharma companies such as Teva in developing Waterford as an important cluster for pharmaceutical manufacturing in Ireland, whilst also exploring how these successes can be built upon.

The Tánaiste’s site visit to Teva’s Waterford facility followed through on this theme of building and innovating for the future, with much of his site visit focused on the innovative research currently underway at the R&D facility.

As part of the visit the delegation were briefed on the ground-breaking research underway at the facility to develop state-of-the-art inhalation devices to more effectively treat chronic respiratory conditions such as asthma.

Poor adherence to inhaled therapies is widespread among patients with asthma and COPD and is often associated with poor inhaler technique. This can lead to suboptimal control of symptom burden and impaired quality of life. Research conducted in Teva Waterford has resulted in the development of a digital inhaler that can gather and track accurate data on inhaler use which in turn could help support and inform clinical decision making.
 
Commenting on the visit, Julian Blair noted “We were delighted to welcome the Tánaiste to our facility. Teva has a long history in Waterford stretching back over 30 years. Throughout that time, our company has always been focused on the future of healthcare and pharma and developing and innovating new products and devices to meet that objective.

“Over the past three decades, in addition to our dedicated and committed staff, key stakeholders such as Government and local elected representatives, State agencies like the IDA Ireland, and the wider local community have all played a role in supporting our company” added Dr.  Blair.

“The visit by the Tánaiste and wider delegation acknowledges our track record as a pharmaceutical leader and significant employer in the region. However, even more importantly, the visit was an opportunity for Teva to reaffirm our commitment to Waterford and set out our plans for the future to the Tánaiste and wider Government which he represents.

“We are currently working to enhance and develop our facility for the future, with further developments expected in the period ahead.

“Our existing strong track record in research and development and pharmaceutical device innovation in particular, with initiatives such as the Digital Inhaler, are testament to the exciting work underway at our Waterford site and our potential to continue our innovation journey,” added Dr. Blair.

Commenting on the company’s presence in Waterford, IDA Ireland’s South East Regional Manager Brendan McDonald saidTeva is an innovative and progressive Pharmaceuticals company which is located in a significant cluster of Life Science companies in Waterford and the wider South East Region.  The SE Region has much to offer potential investors - a good mix of skills and talent, the required infrastructure and excellent support services which all assist companies wishing to scale and grow. We are delighted to continue to work with Teva as they grow and diversify their product ranges here in Waterford.”