Almac Clinical Services, part of the Almac Group, a contract development and manufacturing organization (CDMO), has officially completed a multi-million-dollar investment at its global HQ in Craigavon, Northern Ireland—a project revolving around the development of its cold chain services.1
Enhanced ULT storage and packaging capabilities
Specifically, the latest financial commitment involved the construction of an ultra-low temperature (ULT) plant that has not only tripled Almac’s -15°C to -25°C secondary packaging capabilities, but doubled its ULT storage capacity (-60°C to -80°C) in Craigavon. There is now an improved cold chain management center containing extra 2°C to 8°C secondary production rooms, along with checking suites, and new label printing suites, along with packaging design areas.
The investment also grows the company’s global clinical supply to support biopharma products and is expected to tackle the demand for advanced therapy medicinal products (ATMPs), including cell and gene therapies. As of now, cold chain packaging capacity at the Craigavon facility has expanded by more than 60%.
This particular strategic investment is one of several components of Almac’s continuing initiative related to growing its ULT services; projects in North Carolina and Singapore have also been fulfilled.
“Almac is committed to supporting trial sponsors around the world to champion innovation and advance human health,” said Dr. Robert Dunlop, president and managing director of Almac Clinical Services. “As the number of biological products in clinical development continues to grow, it is important that Almac can offer both the capability and capacity that clients will require in the future. The expansion of our existing cold chain management centre in Craigavon offers a prime solution to many of the manufacturing and supply chain challenges that impact the success of clinical trials.
“Combined, we’re proud to provide strict GMP environments, robust cold chain logistics and quality control through our state-of-the-art, ultra-low, temperature-controlled storage and production capability. This enables sponsors to deliver compliant and cost-effective packaging and labelling of biological IMPs and keep patient supply at the heart of our operations. These investments are a testament to our strategic vision to stay ahead of industry needs. By expanding our infrastructure and capabilities, we are ensuring that Almac remains a trusted partner in the evolving landscape of clinical trials.”
Key Takeaways
- Almac has completed a major cold chain expansion in Craigavon, tripling its -15°C to -25°C packaging capacity and doubling its ultra-low temperature storage to meet rising global demand for biologics and cell and gene therapies.
- The investment supports Almac’s broader strategy to enhance its global clinical supply network, with similar cold chain upgrades also underway in North Carolina and Singapore.
- Additional infrastructure growth at the Craigavon HQ includes new commercial manufacturing and GMP facilities aimed at boosting peptide API output and oral dose production capacity.
Continued infrastructure growth to support clinical and commercial services
Ultimately, the end goal of these clinical trials is for the drugs to receive agency approval for patient use at the commercial level. Over the past couple of years, the company has been proactive in increasing its manufacturing efforts. In early 2024, Almac completed the construction of two new purpose-built facilities at the aforementioned Craigavon hub that have been powering the growth for two of the company’s business units, Almac Pharma Services and Almac Sciences.2
This featured a 32,000 square-foot Almac Pharma Services facility housing new large-scale manufacturing suites, which are expected to boost commercial manufacturing and packaging of sachet drug product presentations. The second project was a 28,000 square-foot good manufacturing practice (GMP) facility that is anticipated to double Almac Sciences’ peptide active pharmaceutical ingredient (API) manufacturing capacity.
And just a few months ago, Almac unveiled a $76 million, 100,000 square-foot commercial manufacturing facility in Craigavon for the production of oral dose treatments for various therapeutic areas.3
“We are thrilled to officially open our new commercial manufacturing facility at our global headquarters site,” commented John McQuaid, Almac Pharma Services’ president and managing director. “This investment underscores our commitment to supporting our clients’ growing needs with the highest level of service and expertise.
“The new facility not only expands our range of capabilities but also reinforces our position as an industry leader in pharmaceutical development and commercial manufacturing with an ability to tailor our services to suit individual products. It also demonstrates our commitment to working in true partnership with our clients as we support them in bringing important new therapies to the patients we serve.”
References
1. Almac completes a multi-million-pound investment enhancing cold chain capabilities in Craigavon. Almac Group. July 7, 2025. Accessed July 7, 2025. https://www.almacgroup.com/news/almac-completes-a-multi-million-pound-investment-enhancing-cold-chain-capabilities-in-craigavon/
2. Saraceno N. Almac Group Grows Northern Ireland HQ, Welcomes New Facilities. Pharmaceutical Commerce. March 7, 2024. Accessed July 7, 2025. https://www.pharmaceuticalcommerce.com/view/almac-group-grows-northern-ireland-hq-welcomes-new-facilities
3. Almac Pharma Services Opens Doors on £65m New Commercial Manufacturing Facility. Almac Group. March 11, 2025. Accessed July 7, 2025. https://www.almacgroup.com/news/almac-pharma-services-opens-doors-on-65m-new-commercial-manufacturing-facility/
