Pfizer to stop manufacturing in its Chennai and Aurangabad facilities

CHENNAI: US-drug maker Pfizer will be shutting down two of its facilities in Aurangabad, Maharashtra and Irungattukottai (IKKT) near Chennai in Tamil Nadu citing non-viability of operations. The closures will affect 1700 employed at both locations of the company which has a total of five manufacturing sites across the country.

A spokesperson representing the company said, "Pfizer has conducted a thorough evaluation of the IKKT and Aurangabad sites and concluded that due to the very significant long term loss of product demand, manufacturing at these sites is not viable. As a result, Pfizer is announcing that both the Aurangabad and IKKT sites will immediately cease manufacturing with the intention to exit both sites as soon as possible in 2019."

The company, however, said that the exact timing of the exit of the sites is yet to be determined.

IKKT currently employs approximately 1000 people and the Aurangabad site employs approximately 700 people. The company said "Our focus is on our colleagues impacted by this decision and we are committed to keeping colleagues informed of the site exit process."

Both IKKT and Aurangabad are involved in exports and do not supply products for Pfizer's domestic commercial operations, according to the spokesperson.

The company, meanwhile, is expanding its to operations at its Vizag site in India."The Vizag site is now being expanded into a global Terminally Sterilized Manufacturing Center of Excellence. It will cater to export markets, such as United States and eventually we expect to Canada, " the spokesperson said.