Eli Lilly to close three European facilities

US drug major Eli Lilly says that, having completed a thorough strategic review of its operations, it is planning to close three of its European facilities. The closures will include R&D sites in Hamburg, Germany, and Mont-Saint-Guibert, in Belgium, as well as its UK manufacturing plant in Basingstoke.

Lilly added that it had developed the closure strategy in response to the challenging environment and pressures of the global pharmaceutical industry, and that it would allow the firm to continue bringing innovative products to market. The group went on to say that it was working to increase productivity in its R&D operations, in addition to reducing its excess manufacturing capacity.

John Lechleiter, Lilly's president of European operations, said that the proposed site closures, which will likely see the loss of around 900 jobs, were a difficult but necessary step to ensure the health of the business. The firm said that it would consult employee representatives at each site, and that no final decision on the plan had yet been reached.