New owner for Elan Pharmaceuticals

GAINESVILLE - Elan Pharmaceuticals in Gainesville has been sold.

The purchase, by Dublin, Ireland-based Alkermes, was announced at Thursday's Greater Hall Chamber of Commerce Board of Directors meeting. Alkermes acquired Elan Drug Technologies earlier this week, according to the announcement.

Donogh McGuire is the General Manager of Alkermes-Gainesville, LLC. "We have been recognized as a strategic asset in the organization, so it's onwards and upwards from here," Mcguire said responding to the future of the newly acquired facility.

McGuire added, "It's a time of significant change...but we've grown a very successful business here in Gainesville. The assurance I can give the people here is that the Gainesville facility will remain an integral part."

Elan located in Gainesville 30 years ago after the head of the company, Donald Panoz, visited Hall County as part of the industry-seeking Red Carpet Tour, which is sponsored each year by the Georgia Chamber of Commerce.

Elan, which is also headquartered in Ireland, is one of 41 international companies with a presence in Hall County and currently employs 165 people on a 132-acre site off McEver Road.

Elan Drug Technologies is a drug formulation and manufacturing business unit that was formerly a part of Elan Corporation.