Vaccine maker Janssen closes plant in Bern

Johnson & Johnson, to which the company belongs, is continuing to examine various options for the Bern site. Keystone / Anthony Anex

Vaccine developer Janssen is closing its plant in Bern-Bümpliz. It is still unclear whether the site will be sold to a third party.

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Johnson & Johnson, to which the company belongs, is continuing to examine various options for the Bern site. This includes selling it to a third party, a spokeswoman told the Keystone-SDA news agency on Wednesday in response to an inquiry. The site will be closed in stages by the end of 2026.

The online portal 20 Minuten was the first to report on the closure, which had already been announced in July. According to the spokeswoman, around 300 employees are affected.

A social plan has been negotiated with employee representatives. This includes severance pay arrangements, extended notice periods for employees over 50, child allowances, and “comprehensive outplacement services.”

The consultation process began in early July. This came after, among other things, a new vaccine for the prevention of infections caused by E. coli bacteria failed to demonstrate the desired effectiveness.

At the Bern site, the production of lentiviral vectors (LVV) for cell therapies was also gradually phased out. It will be relocated to the Netherlands.

Adapted from German by AI/jdp

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