GE HealthCare invests €132m in Cork manufacturing facility

Investment will create additional capacity to cater for growing demand, while offering security of supply

Trade

Image: GE Healthcare

GE HealthCare is investing €132 million to expand its contrast media fill and finish manufacturing site in Carrigtohill. A new state-of-the-art facility on the grounds of the existing site will enable 25 million more patient doses per year of contrast media by the end of 2027.

Contrast media are injectable diagnostic imaging agents used to enhance visualisation of organs, blood vessels and tissues during medical imaging. Global demand for iodine-based contrast media, used in X-Ray, Computed Tomography (CT) and Interventional procedures is expected to double in the next decade, driven by ageing populations and the increasing global prevalence of chronic disorders. 

In 2024, the Carrigtohill facility, along with GE HealthCare’s other fill and finish production sites in Shanghai, China, and Oslo, Norway, supplied more than 100 million patient doses of contrast media around the world.

The new 3000m² facility – which will support both established and pipeline products – will include solution preparation vessels, multi-functional powder handling systems, a new filling line and autoclaves, with advanced automation systems underpinning production. Once established, the additional capacity will cater for the growing global demand, while offering increased flexibility and resiliency across GE HealthCare’s contrast media production network for security of supply.

President & CEO of GE HealthCare’s Pharmaceutical Diagnostics (PDx) segment, Kevin O’Neill, said: “As an industry leader we have a responsibility to help meet the growing global demand for contrast media from healthcare providers and their patients. This new facility demonstrates our broader commitment not just to address future demand, but also to increase resiliency and security of industry supply for customers.”

Engineering firm, IPS-Integrated Project Services, will lead the project with enabling construction works starting at the Carrigtohill facility in February 2025, and more than 250 construction roles expected to be created.

TechCentral Reporters

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