Efforts to roll out rapid antigen testing across globe will be boosted by Merck expansion

Thursday, 29 April 2021 11:59

The pharmaceutical company are due to open a new €36 million facility in Carrigtwohill in the third quarter of this year.

The expansion will double the number of membranes produced for rapid Covid and pregnancy tests, with plans for a further expansion and 50 new jobs in the future.

Speaking to RedFM News, communications manager at Merck Eoin Weldon says the tests will be used for testing in places like schools and universities:

"This allows us to satisfy a huge increase in customer demand globally for that product because it goes into these rapid antigen test. They're already in frequent use across Asia and the hope is that it'll be rolled out across Europe. In addition to the k2 expansion, we're also announcing additional investment in our bio-tools department over the next five years. The bio-tools department will make filtration and medical devices for the pharma industry, some of which are also using vaccine production. So we're investing north of 35 million over the next six years which will bring in the region of 50 jobs in that time."

Efforts to roll out rapid antigen testing across globe will be boosted by Merck expansion

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