Novartis to close site in Germany and cut 220 jobs

Novartis says the production site in ​Wehr, Germany, which manufactures tablets and capsules, is no longer competitive. Keystone-SDA

Swiss drugmaker Novartis says it will cut around 220 jobs in Germany as part ​of the planned ​closure of a production site in Wehr ⁠by the end of ​2028.

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Novartis says the production site in ​Wehr, Germany, which manufactures tablets and capsules, is no longer competitive.

“We are aware of the uncertainty that this announcement brings to our colleagues in Wehr,” Steffen Lang, head of production at Novartis, said in a statement.

The group promises transparent and respectful cooperation with employees and the municipal authorities concerned.

Novartis assures that the closure will not jeopardise patient supplies and reaffirms its commitment to Germany, where the company employs 2,600 staff at six sites.

Meanwhile, Novartis has announced that it will invest €35 million (CHF32 million) in a new cancer therapy plant in Halle, Saxony-Anhalt, which is expected to be operational in 2027.

Adapted from French by AI/sb

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