Shire plc Gains West Coast Presence with Advanced BioHealing, Inc.; Looks to Hire 50

After completing its $750 million acquisition of San Diego-based regenerative medicine company Advanced BioHealing (ABH) on June 28th, Irish drug giant Shire (NASDAQ: SHPGY) is going on a minor hiring binge. ABH plans to hire 50 new employees in San Diego, according to ABH CEO Kevin Rakin. The company now employs 256 people at its manufacturing and laboratory space on Torrey Pines Mesa where ABH makes Dermagraft patches, which are bio-engineered from human skin cells and used as grafts to treat diabetic foot ulcers.