Dive Brief:
- Richard Francis, head of Sandoz, has annouced closures of manufacturing sites in Gerlingen and Frankfurt, Germany, as well as Turbhe, India by the end of 2016, in-Pharmatechnologist reports.
- Sandoz is the generics division of Novartis.
- The goal is to increase the cost efficiency of manufacturing.
Dive Insight:
While hundreds of workers will lose their jobs as Sandoz attempts to bring down manufacturing costs, the company has committed to maintaining a presence in both Germany and India. In Germany, production of generic oral solids (such as ibuprofen) and antibiotics (such as generic omeprazole) will move to Barleben while some manufacturing will move to Strykow, Poland. Indian manufacturing will move from Turbhe, which is near Mumbai, to other Indian sites. Some manufacturing will go to Austria as well.
Overall, Sandoz had a solid second quarter, with a 30% year-over-year increase from Q2 2014—to $423 million in income. The company is moving full steam ahead as it prepares to launch Zarxio (a biosimlar version of Amgen's Neupogen) in September.