Gaelic Labs boosts its beta lactam manufacturing with Athlone deal

Gaelic Laboratories has acquired its fellow beta lactam manufacturer Athlone Laboratories in a move that adds consolidates Ireland’s two leading producers of the antibiotics.

It brings to Clonmel, County Tipperary-based Gaelic the County Roscommon firm’s strength in oral dose beta lactams and feeds into Gaelic’s plans to lead the pharma industry’s production and distribution of beta lactam generic drugs.

Brian Morrissey, General Manager of Gaelic, said: “The deal is expected to deliver multiple financial and operational benefits, including cost savings through manufacturing consolidation, revenue growth and increased regulatory advantages.

“Athlone is a key player in the supply chain for Beta-Lactam antibiotics, so they are a great match for Gaelic Labs, and we will leverage many operational synergies.”

Gaelic said it would retain personnel at the Athlone site, including the contract manufacturing organisation’s current management team, which will report to Morrissey.

He added: “Gaelic Labs has always supported the creation of highly skilled jobs in Ireland. With this acquisition, our total workforce has more than doubled to around 120 people, and we know that those people are the driving force behind our success.

“We are conducting several programmes for smooth operational transitioning, and to ensure we retain the experience and expertise that Athlone has become known for.”

Established in 2022, Gaelic has to date focused on the manufacture of tablet, capsule and powder for suspension forms of beta lactam (penicillin) products, which is sells under its own branding as well as offering contract manufacturing and packaging services for markets across the EU, UK, the Middle East and North Africa.

Meanwhile, Athlone, whose heritage stretches back to 1974, supplies a broad range of oral dose beta lactam products across Europe, Asia-Pacific, Canada, Iraq and Brazil.