Lonza closes three sites, cuts 175 jobs

Yesterday we reported that CRO Charles River is cutting 300 jobs and suspending some of its preclinical services. Today there's another company dependent on biopharma business that's making some cutbacks.

Switzerland's Lonza Group, a major supplier of active pharmaceuticals ingredients, is closing three of its manufacturing sites. The sites are located in Conshohocken, PA, Shawinigan, Canada and Wokingham, United Kingdom. All sites will be closed in 2010, and 175 employees will be out of a job.

"The economic pressures of the past 18 months have clearly accelerated the cost reduction efforts of the pharmaceutical industry,"  the company explains in a release. Adds Lonza CEO Stefan Borgas, "the closure of the three sites will help to optimize our global operational network and further increase the competitiveness for our customers." The company says it will increase its platform in Asia.

- see Lonza's release