Gilead Sciences has unveiled a new global pediatric drug development center in Ireland that will have 33 job openings by the end of 2022.
Gilead, with operations in more than 35 countries and headquarters in California, is opening the center in Dublin—its first Global Centre of Excellence for Pediatric Clinical Trials outside the U.S. The center will focus on the development of new pediatric formulations for its portfolio of medicines, with more than 30 new job postings slated for 2022, according to an April 6 announcement.
The new pediatric center out of Ireland will conduct pediatric clinical trials for seven products across 18 countries. Gilead Chairman and CEO Daniel O’Day noted the company's work in HIV, viral hepatitis and COVID-19 but said the new center could also play a role in addressing unmet needs in childhood cancers.
The Dublin office was carefully selected based on location and sustainability credentials, said Reggie Kelly, vice president of development for Gilead and the Dublin site lead.
The pediatric center will be Gilead’s fourth facility in Ireland, with plans to expand Dublin operations even further, including into support work for adult studies. An additional new Dublin team will also be recruited to form part of a new Artificial Intelligence Center within the Gilead Development organization.
In total, Gilead has 500 employees in Ireland—the company’s largest operation in the EU.
The news comes amid a recent surge of industry layoffs—one that Gilead itself has contributed to in the U.S. In March, the drugmaker said it would lay off 114 staffers at the former Immunomedics headquarters in New Jersey over the course of 2022. Gilead picked up Immunomedics and its breast cancer drug Trodelvy for $21 billion a few years ago and is now relocating the site to a larger space in the surrounding area.