Pfizer to close Irish manufacturing site
pharmafile | August 15, 2008 | News story | Manufacturing and Production |Â Â Â
Pfizer is to close its manufacturing site in Cork with the loss of 180 jobs, following a failed 18-month effort to sell the facility.
The company says it searched for a sale so that staff could continue working there, but now has exhausted every option, and the plant will close next year.
Paul Duffy, Pfizer's vice president of manufacturing for Ireland and Singapore, said: "We were initially optimistic that we would find a buyer because there was considerable interest. Unfortunately, that interest has not translated into a sale."
Pfizer chose to scale back its manufacturing capacity in Ireland in February 2007 – a decision largely impacted by the termination of its experimental cholesterol drug torcetrapib. It is also currently trying to sell another facility in Loughbeg.
Duffy thanked the staff leaving for their commitment, and acknowledged the national and local government officials for their help in promoting the plant and identifying prospective buyers.
Some of the cuts will be made this year with the last staff leaving at the end of 2009, when all production will be phased out.
But Pfizer will retain other units in the country, including five other manufacturing sites and its sales and marketing presence in human medicines and animal health medicines. These employ 2,200 people and account for a capital investment of over Euro 1 billion.
More positively, Pfizer in May this year said it would invest Euro 190 million, with support from IDA Ireland, to set up a biologics facility at Shanbally, county Cork, to be completed and fully commissioned by the end of 2009.






