Merck Sharp and Dohme (MSD) Ireland has officially opened a new site in Meath in addition to its facilities in Carlow.

As one of the country's leading healthcare companies, the project represents a recent investment of over €1 billion between the facilities in Carlow and Dunboyne in County Meath.

In reference to the announcement, Taoiseach Leo Varadkar TD said: "This is fantastic news for counties Meath and Carlow with the opening by MSD of its new state of the art facility in Meath and the expansion of its Carlow site. The €1 billion investment by MSD is creating 670 jobs and expanding the company’s operations. It reinforces the Government’s commitment to balanced regional development, and further enhances Ireland’s global status in the pharmaceutical sector."

Over recent years, the company has had a successful recruitment drive and with the expansion projects creating 670 skilled jobs their employee numbers in Ireland will be over 3,100.

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At present the company is recruiting for roles in engineering, science, manufacturing, operations, quality and more.

First established in 2008, the Carlow facility was MSD’s first vaccine operation outside of America. It serves as a filling site for the launch and commercial supply of vaccines, biologics and small molecule drug products.

Expanding the Carlow site will strengthen MSD's global manufacturing capabilities to meet increased demand for MSD's medicines and vaccines.

Site Lead at MSD in Carlow, Marie Martin said: "Today's announcement is a testament to the talent, hard work, and commitment of our team in Carlow and our colleagues across Ireland and internationally, who truly take our mission to Invent for Life to the next level every single day. Over the past 15 years, we are proud to have built a world-class centre of excellence for MSD in Carlow. We're proud to be making our mark when it comes to positioning Ireland as a world-leader in pharmaceuticals, driving invention and innovation forward from Carlow to the world."

As the first MSD biologics drug substance single use commercialisation facility, MSD in Dunboyne in County Meath plays a crucial role in helping to commercialise key medicines. Through innovation and collaboration between the research and manufacturing teams, the time taken to bring a medicine to the market that will benefit patients around the world will be accelerated.

MSD Dunboyne's Site Lead, Eve Gallagher said: "Today marks a significant milestone in MSD Dunboyne's journey as we officially open our new, state-of-the-art facility. At MSD, our focus is always on the patient and by harnessing the expertise and synergy between our exceptional research and manufacturing teams, we are not only shortening the timeline for drug development but also creating healthier, happier futures for patients worldwide."