Hospira Invests In Mulgrave Facility, Calls For Pharma Manufacturing Taskforce
By Cyndi Root
Hospira is investing $15 million in its Mulgrave, Australia manufacturing facility. The move was announced in a press release and commemorated by a visit from Ian Macfarlane, Industry Minister. During his visit, Hospira showed the government official its filling line for cancer medications and other specialty injectable medicines and took the opportunity to call upon him to start a multi-departmental Medicines Manufacturing taskforce to help the pharmaceutical manufacturing industry in Australia overcome current challenges.
Andrew Hodder, VP at the Mulgrave facility, said, “Mulgrave is a high tech site that is bucking the manufacturing trend. To remain competitive we have had to downsize our workforce and we continually reassess our business and processes. We do not receive and are not looking for handouts. But it is important for government policies to reflect the challenges facing medicines manufacturing.”
Australian Pharmaceutical Manufacturing
When Hospira invited Honorable Ian Macfarlane, Minister for Industry, the company took the opportunity to discuss the Australian pharmaceutical manufacturing environment. The discussion highlighted Hospira’s efforts to be globally competitive and the government’s role in assisting the medicines manufacturing sector. Hospira asked the Minister to convene a multi-departmental Medicines Manufacturing Taskforce that would consist of members of government in industry, health, and trade.
To begin, the panel would address the opportunities and barriers to exporting Australian-made drugs to other countries. Hospira also stated that it hopes the panel reviews the way medicines are priced, as local medicines manufacturing is at risk due to price cutting.
Additionally, Hospira says that it hopes the panel will raise awareness of the importance of generic drug manufacturing to the local economies and these economies’ importance for global competiveness. The company notes that the generic medicines industry in Australia employs approximately 2,500 people and contributes about 10 to 15 percent of total exports.
Hospira’s Mulgrave Site
Hospira expects the upgrades it is making at its Mulgrave site to be complete in March 2015. The facility has over 600 employees that conduct manufacturing and R&D activities. According to Ferret, an industry website, Hospira makes 15 percent of the injectable medicines used in Australian hospitals and 100 percent of the morphine. The site supplies medicines to over 70 countries and has previously supplied the U.S. market with drugs during shortages.