US medical diagnostics firm Alere is to create 40 new jobs at its Galway facility as part of an expansion plan for its Irish operation.

The medtech firm plans to triple the number of its carried out at its operation in Ballybrit, resulting in over 150 million rapid diagnostic tests being carried out.

The Galway centre already oversees the processing and delivery of Alere's next generation healthcare tests in Europe and the Middle East, and will now add Eastern Europe, Latin America and Africa to its portfolio. Alere Galway will also lead on the supply chain management of the company's rapid, 'point-of-care' HIV tests.

Alere supplies around 1.4 billion tests annually to patients in more than 100 countries. This enhanced role for Alere’s Galway facility comes as the demand for accurate, faster healthcare testing increases globally.

The additional work at the Galway facility will see staff numbers rise to 150, and recruitment for the 40 new positions has already commenced.

Mark Hengerer, Alere International president and general manager, said: "Alere's Irish operations play a significant role in delivering state-of-the-art rapid diagnostics to patients around the world and are a central part of our global operations."