Sharp – part of UDG Healthcare plc, a Dublin-based global leader in contract packaging and clinical supply services, cut the ribbon on the state-of the-art Clinical Services Centre of Excellence at today’s ceremony, enabling the company to now offer an extended range of primary and secondary drug packaging, storage and distribution services from the site.
Development of the site began in 2017 and following a successful inspection by the UK’s medicines regulator, the Medicines and Healthcare Products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) in early 2019, the new facility is fully operational.
This milestone coincides with Sharp celebrating over thirty years in the delivery of clinical trial services in South Wales, which has secured over 70 skilled local jobs to the area with potential for more.
Ian Morgan, general manager for Sharp Clinical Services UK, said: “We are delighted to be officially ‘cutting the ribbon’ on our brand-new clinical services facility in Rhymney.
“Investing in new facilities, increasing production capacity and expanding our capabilities helps us to meet growing demand for our services and is also an important way of creating jobs and supporting the communities where we operate.
“In designing the new facility, the company also demonstrated its commitment to the environment in which it operates, investing in a solar panel system which is already generating approximately 20% of its total annual electricity requirements.
“We have a long-standing history in the area and are dedicated to supporting both our customers and our employees for years to come and the investment in the Rhymney facility is a testament of that commitment.”
Eluned Morgan, Minister for International Relations, said: “This news is further commitment and dedication by the company to invest in Wales even with Brexit looming. I was delighted to hear their future plans during my visit to their Headquarters in Dublin earlier this year.
“I look forward to continuing engagement through our office in Dublin as we seek to further strengthen the relationship between Wales and our closest EU neighbour, Ireland.”
Economy Minister Ken Skates said: “I am delighted Welsh Government has supported Sharp to open this fantastic new global pharma centre of excellence. Irish-owned Sharp Clinical has a long history of providing valuable services to the clinical services industry, and is an important employer in the Rhymney Valley area, providing quality job opportunities.
“The company is a real asset to the region, and I congratulate them on celebrating 30 years of operations in South Wales. I look forward to seeing them continue to grow and develop as a result of this significant investment.”
