Monksland-based pharmaceutical manufacturer Dunbar Pharma has been named Manufacturing Company of the Year at this year’s Irish Start-Up Awards, in a major national accolade for the Athlone business community.
Dunbar Pharma is proud to be awarded Gold in the Product & Manufacturing category at the National Startup Awards 2025, recognising the company’s continued growth in pharmaceutical manufacturing, innovation and quality.
Based in Monksland, Athlone, Dunbar Pharma develops and manufactures plant-derived cannabinoid active pharmaceutical ingredients (APIs) for use in medicines. The award recognises the work of our team in building and scaling a specialised pharmaceutical manufacturing operation in Ireland.
The achievement was subsequently featured by both the Westmeath Independent and Roscommon Herald, which highlighted Dunbar Pharma’s growth, expanding export footprint and commitment to high-quality pharmaceutical manufacturing.
Speaking following the award, Dunbar Pharma CEO and Co-Founder Leah Fletcher credited the achievement to the company’s team in Monksland and their continued focus on detail and quality.
Read the coverage:
Westmeath Independent – Athlone firm wins at Irish Start-Up Awards →
Media Contact
For further information, please contact:
Nicole Farah
Americana Communications Ltd.
pr@dunbarpharma.ie
www.americanapr.com
About Dunbar Pharma
Dunbar Pharmaceuticals (Mercury Rising Ltd.) is a privately owned Irish pharmaceutical manufacturer and Ireland’s first EU GMP manufacturer of plant-derived cannabinoid active pharmaceutical ingredients (APIs). Based in Athlone, Ireland, the company manufactures difficult-to-make, pharmaceutical-grade APIs, including plant-derived dronabinol, to recognised pharmacopoeia standards for regulated pharmaceutical markets, including Germany and the UK.
Built from the ground up as a pharmaceutical manufacturer on Ireland’s world-class pharma platform, Dunbar Pharma operates under the oversight of the Health Products Regulatory Authority (HPRA), with validated processes and full batch traceability supporting dependable supply to licensed partners across Europe.
Dunbar Pharma was founded on a simple observation: medical use of cannabinoids was growing worldwide, but the pharmaceutical infrastructure behind it had not kept pace. The company is closing that gap, building Europe’s pharmaceutical infrastructure for plant-derived cannabinoid medicines by combining EU GMP manufacturing, pharmaceutical quality standards and reliable supply for healthcare partners and patients. The company has been recognised for its growth and innovation, including Emerging Company of the Year at the BioPharmaChem Impact Awards 2026, Product & Manufacturing Start-Up of the Year at the National Start-Up Awards 2025, and the Ambition & Growth Award at the Local Enterprise Office Awards 2026. Keep up to date on activity from Dunbar Pharma on LinkedIn.
Notes to Editor
Dunbar Pharmaceuticals (Mercury Rising Ltd.) is an Irish GMP manufacturer based in Athlone, Ireland. GMP Certificate: 35486/ASR13213/000001; ASR Certificate: ASR13213/000001 — verifiable on the EudraGMDP public register.
Dronabinol is the INN (international non-proprietary name) for delta-9-THC in purified pharmaceutical form, prescribed internationally for decades in regulated prescription medicines for specific indications.
Dunbar’s dronabinol is manufactured exclusively for pharmaceutical use, not consumer or wellness products.