Roche to cut 780 production jobs
pharmafile | January 21, 2009 | News story | Manufacturing and Production |Â Â Roche, restructureÂ
Roche will shed 780 production jobs over the next two years as it continues to streamline its manufacturing operations, but refuted allegations this represented additional cutbacks over prior announcements.
A spokeswoman for the Swiss drugmaker said categorically that the latest figure – picked up at a presentation made by Roche's chief financial officer Erich Hunziker at the JP Morgan Healthcare Conference last week – does not represent an increase.
"This refers to activities already announced by Roche in series of statements released last year," she told Pharmafocus. She also pointed out that not all the 780 staff affected would actually lose their jobs – some would be moved elsewhere within the group.
The company has previously disclosed its intention to close down manufacturing in Nutley, New Jersey, by 2010, and it sold off a production facility as part of a restructuring of its activities in Europe.
The company has made reduced production headcount by 1,577 through the sale, closure or downsizing of facilities between 2007 and 2009, but has offset this with an increase of nearly 700 in areas such as technical operations, galenics and biologics production. The 780 reductions in 2009-2011 represent a continuation of that previously announced restructuring.
Meanwhile, Roche is in the process of trying to acquire the 44% of biotechnology bellwether Genentech that it does not already own, and Hunziker told delegates at the conference that the takeover is "on track".
Roche offered $43.7 billion for Genentech, equivalent to $89 per share, last July and there have been rumours the pharma company will raise its bid.
Hunziker also said at the conference that Roche is well positioned to "weather the upcoming storm" as healthcare systems around the world struggle with limited funding.
He noted the drugmaker is not facing significant patent expiries in the next five years, and that the high proportion of biologic medicines in its portfolio protects it from generic competition.
Related Stories:
Genentech won't surrender independence without a fight
Friday, August 08, 2008
Related Content
Roche receives CE Mark for blood test to help rule out Alzheimer’s
Roche has been granted CE Mark approval for its Elecsys pTau181 test, the first in …
Roche candidate shows early promise for treating haemophilia A
Roche has announced encouraging early results from its phase 1/2 trial of NXT007, an investigational …
Roche advances treatment for Parkinson’s disease
Swiss biopharma, Roche, has announced its decision to proceed with phase 3 trials of prasinezumab, …
