PHARMACEUTICAL manufacture in Australia is continuing to enjoy a resurgence, with the opening this month of a new $8 million Mega Lifesciences Public Company facility in Pakenham, Victoria.

Mega Lifesciences was established in Thailand in 1982, and employs more than 4,000 people globally with a turnover of about $200m.

The company opened its first Australian manufacturing plant in Dandenong in 2002, with the company saying that the business has gone from strength to strength, with the recent increased investment “bucking the current trend of Australian manufacturing taking production offshore”.

Mega Lifesciences established the first soft gel capsule manufacturing plant in Thailand, and was granted its TGA license almost 20 years ago.

Managing Director John Farley said global growth and demand for the company’s liquid filled tablets had prompted the decision to relocate most manufacture of its tablets and hard shell capsules from Thailand to Melbourne.

“The decision to expand the Australian manufacturing operation is testimony to the quality and consistency of the products already produced in Australia,” he said, with the country having an excellent reputation for manufactured health care products in overseas markets.

“We believe that the Pakenham plant will be a cornerstone of our global growth strategy as we continue to invest for the future,” Farley added.

And Mega Lifesciences ceo Vivek Dhawan said that despite the currently high Australian dollar, the local investment is expected to be a “good long-term business”.

He said he also expected the local demand for contract manufacturing services to continue to grow.

“Our business model means we are highly competitive providing small and mid size companies products with speed and efficiency,” he said.