UCB opens Irish production plant

Belgian biopharmaceutical company UCB has opened a new production facility at Shannon in Ireland. The site will be used for the manufacture of the over-active bladder treatment fesoterodine, acquired as part of UCB's purchase of Germany's Schwarz Pharma earlier this year (Marketletters passim). Final construction at the plant will be completed by the end of the year, allowing the unit to become operational in the first quarter of 2008. Fesoterodine, which was the subject of an "approvable letter" from the US Food and Drug Administration (Marketletter February 5) is expected to gain regulatory clearance before the end of the year.