Merck is preparing to launch construction of a €200 million vaccine R&D facility in the southeastern area of Ireland. The pharma giant says that construction will get started next year and should wrap in 2010.

"The new vaccine and biologics facility will bolster our expanding global vaccines business, which includes products to protect against hepatitis, zoster, rubella, measles and haemophilus," said Merck. "The project will create 170- new high-quality jobs by 2011 across all areas of management, quality control, engineering, research and development and administration."

Irish officials lauded the move as another sign of the country's growing role in biotechnology.

- read the story in Medical Laboratory World

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