Westport emerges as 'Botox capital of the world' as plant sells $4bn of Botox to the world in two years
Westport’s status as the ‘Botox capital of the world’ is confirmed with new figures showing that pharma giant, Allergan has sold $4bn (€3.6bn) of the anti-wrinkle treatment from its Co Mayo plant over the past two years.
Numerous Hollywood stars and celebrities have admitted they have used the wrinkle erasing drug in the past.
However, the use of Botox goes way beyond Hollywood stars and celebrities and Allergan’s Westport plant as the firm’s only Botox manufacturing facility across its global network is serving ever increasing global demand.
Now, newly filed accounts by Allergan Pharmaceuticals Ireland reveal the scale and value of the Botox production at the Westport plant.
Before now, the firm has not filed any annual accounts due to its unlimited status.
However, the new company figures show that last year, sales of the blockbuster drug, Botox from the Westport plant totalled $2.18bn and this represents an increase of 15% on the $1.896bn sales of Botox from the Westport firm in 2016.
Allergan first set up on a greenfield site outside Westport 41 years ago and it has provided a bonanza to the Co Mayo tourist town which according to the 2016 Census had a population of 6,198.
Numbers employed by the Westport-based Allergan Pharmaceuticals Ireland totalled 1,163, including 599 engaged in production, providing a bonanza to the town with wages and salaries last year climbing to $71.7m.
The Westport plant has also been very good for the shareholders of Allergan with the firm paying out dividends of $328.4m last year and this followed a dividend payout of $456.7m in 2016.
The directors of Allergan Pharmaceuticals Ireland state that Botox sales last year accounted for 70% of the Westport's company's total sales of $3bn.
The firm enjoyed a 12% increase in revenues to $3bn and this contributed to pre-tax profits increasing by 32% to $225.57m.
The firm recorded post tax profits of $195.89m after paying corporation tax of $29.6m.
The US is the Westport company’s biggest market accounting for 69% or $2.14bn in sales last year with sales in the US growing by 21% over 2016.
Three directors, Alan Flannery, Paul Coffey and Shauna Cross, who resigned in September 2018, served on the board last year.
Pay to directors last year was $1.976m, made up of $1.235m in emoluments, $643,000 in aggregate gains on the exercise of share options and $98,000 in pension contributions.
In their report, the directors state that the firm “is expected to grow sales and pre-tax profits in the line with growth in its key markets. Allergan Plc’s plan is to achieve double digit growth each year over the next five years”.
They state: “The company has major capital projects in progress to expand its production capacities and to strategically position its manufacturing facility for the introduction of new products."
The directors state that going forward, Allergan Pharmaceuticals Ireland will be one of the largest manufacturing operations for Allergan globally.
