400 Jobs To Go At SmithKline Beecham

SmithKline Beecham has announced that it is reorganizing its manufacturing sites and that this will result in 400 job cuts in Europe where five plants are to be closed.

In France, two plants will close in Dijon and Pessac, a plant in Rome, Italy, will close, as will one in Gronau, Germany, and another in Zaragoza, Spain, the last two having been announced previously.

There will also be downsizing of two plants; in Crawley in the UK, and in Heppignies, Belgium. The former will work closely with R&D to develop production processes for new products and the initial production for commercial launch. It will also focus on its sterile capabilities. To assist this change some of Crawley's established products will be transferred to other sites. The latter will continue to focus on its core competency of primary and sterile penicillin manufacturing. This will result in the transfer of some production to other sites in the network. Heppignies will also receive sterile packaging of injectables.