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Pfizer blamed the planned job cuts at Newbridge on lower-than-expected customer demand for its Covid-19 products.
Medtech giant Pfizer has today (7 November) confirmed that it is planning to cut 100 jobs at its Newbridge, Co Kildare manufacturing centre.
The company said that the planned cuts are part of what it called “an enterprise-wide cost realignment programme” that it outlined last month. The Newbridge centre was heavily involved in the manufacturing of Pfizer’s Covid-19 vaccines, for which demand has fallen since the easing of the pandemic.
“We can confirm planned changes at the Newbridge site which will impact approximately 100 colleagues who work on the manufacture of Pfizer’s Covid antiviral treatment,” a company representative stated.
It added that Pfizer would be engaging with those affected and their representatives “as applicable in relation to the planned changes”.
According to Pfizer, the cuts are being implemented because of lower-than-expected demand for its Covid-19 products. “Onsite operations were expanded in 2021 to meet pandemic needs but, considering the lower-than-expected utilisation for our Covid-19 products, production is now scaling down in line with customer demand,” the company said.
Newbridge is one of Pfizer’s leading drug product sites, employing approximately 1,200 people. It is the lead manufacturing site for Pfizer’s atrial fibrillation medicine.
Despite the proposed Newbridge cuts, it said that it would still be pressing ahead with expansion plans it previously announced for its sites in Ringaskiddy, Co Cork and Grange Castle, Co Dublin. Last December, Pfizer said it would invest €1.2bn in its Grange Castle site, a move it said would increase its headcount at the facility by up to 500. It said it remained “committed” to this goal.
The company confirmed that this growth would not be derailed by the job cuts at Newbridge. “We expect to see overall growth in our manufacturing operations through 2024, including an additional 230 roles at our Grange Castle and Ringaskiddy sites.”
In 2021, the Grange Castle site was the subject of a €40m investment by the medtech player. It created 75 new jobs at the time as it planned to begin manufacturing its Covid-19 vaccine there.
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