Dive Brief:
- GlaxoSmithKline (GSK) is closing a satellite lab in France, where the focus in on chemistry and other aspects of R&D.
- All of the work at the Les Ulis site will be handled at the two global hubs---in and around Philadelphia and also Stevenage in the U.K.
- Approximately 70 employees will lose their jobs as a result of this closure.
Dive Insight:
GSK is in the midst of laying off humdred of employees in North Carolina and elsewhere, as it downsizes its R&D operations and attempts to centralize much of its operations around its two global hubs. It's been a tough period for GSK, with the loss of patent protection for Advair coming as a major blow. And when Breo Ellipta failed to show a treatment-related improvement in mortality among patients in a 16,000-plus patient mega-trial, things just got worse.
The plant closure in France promises to be a monumental challenge as GSK deals with backlash from the French government. At the moment, GSK is looking for another pharma company to acquire the plant, with the goal of preserving employment there as much as possible.