23rd October 2017
World leading provider of cardio-respiratory products, software and services to invest €12m in Ennis facility
Expansion will see clinical trials of the efficacy of new cough drugs along with the development of new diagnostic software centre
Vitalograph, a world leader in the provision of cardio-respiratory diagnostic products, has today announced 50 new jobs at its manufacturing and R&D facility in Ennis, Co Clare. The new roles will be across a number of positions including data analysts, software designers and engineers and Vitalograph expects to fill the positions over the coming six months.
The jobs announcement also coincides with the news that Vitalograph is to invest €12million in the Clare facility where it currently employs 100 people.
Vitalograph has been designing, developing and manufacturing respiratory and cardiology devices for the healthcare sector for over 50 years. More recently, the company has been working in collaboration with a number of leading pharmaceutical companies providing clinical trials of new drugs, particularly those used in the treatment of cough and other respiratory conditions.
Frank Keane, General Manager at Vitalograph Ireland said: “We are delighted to announce a significant investment in the facility here in Ennis, along with the creation of 50 new jobs. We have been at the forefront of the design and development of cardio-respiratory devices for decades but today’s announcement means that we can further expand in the area of clinical trials, particularly in the treatment of cough”.
The news was also welcomed by Minister of State at the Department of Enterprise and Innovation, Pat Breen TD, who was at today’s announcement; “The news of 50 new jobs is fantastic for Ennis and the mid-west region. Vitalograph has been a long-established name in the region since 1974 and has built a reputation as a great employer. The company is also acknowledged as a leading provider in the development and production of medical devices and software as well as providing the expertise to deliver world-leading medical innovation.
“I’m delighted to be part of today’s milestone and it is a very positive reinforcement of our position in the global pharmaceutical, medical and clinical testing sector.”
Cough, which is classified as acute (less than 3 weeks), sub-acute (3 – 8 weeks) and chronic (more than 8 weeks), is the second most common condition presented to GPs in the UK and US.
Keane commented: “The last cough drug that received FDA approval was nearly 60 years ago, in 1958. Given the advances in medicine and diagnostics in that time, there has also been a correlation in the demand for more effective medicines and drugs to treat cough.
“At Vitalograph, we devised the only system in the world that has been approved and validated to accurately measure cough. VitaloJAK works by the Patient wearing a measuring device that records cough, data is collected and sent for analysis by our team. The system, which was designed in collaboration with the University of Manchester, was developed over a six-year period and has proven to be Incredibly accurate in the measurement of cough with an independent study putting the accuracy at greater than 99%. Therefore, VitaloJAK is ideally suited to trial the effectiveness of cough drugs.”
Vitalograph has already been working with a number of pharmaceutical companies on the clinical testing of new cough drugs.
“Cough can be a debilitating illness that causes severe pain and discomfort, with sales of OTC cough medicines accounted for over £100m in the UK in 2015. Therefore, the development of an effective drug to treat it is hugely important to sufferers,” said Keane.
Dr. Tom Kelly, Divisional Manager, Cleantech, Electronics and Life Sciences, Enterprise Ireland said: “With over 38,000 people employed directly in the medical technologies sector, and exports now approaching €12.5bn, Ireland is now globally recognised as a major centre of excellence for medtech. The sector has continued to grow year on year and has evolved to become a world-class ecosystem made up of highly innovative companies like Vitalograph. Working closely with Enterprise Ireland, these companies are designing and developing products and services that have the potential to significantly and positively impact the lives of people worldwide. Enterprise Ireland will continue to work with Vitalograph as it transforms itself through innovation, underpinning the company’s continued growth in world markets and the creation of sustainable employment at home”.
Vitalograph currently employs more than 200 people across its facilities in Ireland, England, Germany, China, US and Japan. The company was set-up by Dietmar and Margaret Garbe in 1963 and is still family owned and run. For information on the full list of products and services offered by Vitalograph, visit www.vitalograph.ie.
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For more information contact:
Ciarán Curran, H+A Marketing + PR. Tel.: 021 466 6200 | 083 106 1193
Brian Healy, H+A Marketing + PR. Tel.: 086 854 9814
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