Alnylam Pharmaceuticals Inc., an RNA interference (RNAi) therapeutics company, and Sharp, part of UDG Healthcare, have announced an agreement for the packaging of Alnylam’s approved RNAi therapeutic in European markets.
 
In accordance with this agreement, Sharp Belgium’s Hamont-Achel site will be responsible for the packaging of all of Alnylam’s products across European countries.
 
“This is a historical milestone for Alnylam Benelux and constitutes our first significant international investment in Belgium,” said Anant Murthy, Alnylam vice president and general manager for Midsize Markets, consisting of the Benelux countries, Scandinavia, Portugal and Canada. “It is consistent with our strategy to ramp up our investments and footprint in the Benelux and to establish the region as a strategic hub for our international operations which includes an increase in clinical and medical research in Belgium.”
 
Sharp, which is part of UDG Healthcare, recently invested EUR 11 million in its facility network aimed specifically at offering enhanced global injectable and cold-chain capabilities. 
 
“Sharp has had a long history of investment in Belgium and since 2012, our facility in Hamont-Achel has been focused on serving the growing demand for injectables and cold-chain packaging in the region,” added Robert O’Beirn, managing director of Sharp Europe. “We are delighted to support Alnylam with this significant pan-European packaging agreement which is an excellent fit for the specialized packaging expertise we offer in Sharp. We look forward to expanding our support for them in the future.”