AstraZeneca closing US manufacturing unit
pharmafile | December 16, 2014 | News story | Manufacturing and Production, Sales and Marketing | AstraZeneca, Pulmicort, malloy, short haircuts, westboro
AstraZeneca is closing its Otis Street manufacturing plant next year that has been in operation for 33 years, and the move will see 180 employees their jobs.
The facility that makes asthma treatment Pulmicort Respules (budesonide inhalation suspension) for the UK firm, has been losing staff for a while as AstraZeneca steadily implements parts of its global restructuring.
The facility in Westboro will lose some jobs in March with the remaining scattered throughout the year, with the whole unit closing at the end of 2015 according to the Worcester Telegram.
The company had 850 Westboro employees ten years ago in 2004, and said it will now be working with displaced workers during the transition period.
Production will now be handled by plants in Australia and Sweden, and a AstraZeneca spokesperson told the newspaper it did not ‘take the [closing] decision lightly’.
“It was made after careful consideration of our business strategy, market indicators and the patients and stakeholders we serve globally,” says Alisha Martin.
Westboro town manager James Malloy said local officials have been aware of the pending closing for some time, and said the town had met with AstraZeneca officials in hopes of retaining the company.
Now that a decision has been officially made, Malloy says Westboro will lend as much assistance as possible to help AstraZeneca sell the property or find a new tenant.
AstraZeneca that has its US headquarters in Delaware, says it remains committed to its other US offerings in Massachusetts, along with maintaining R&D sites in Waltham and Cambridge.
Brett Wells
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