Business & Tech
Lonza Phasing Down Hopkinton Site, Layoffs Announced
The company on Thursday announced a move of its operations in microbial biologics to Switzerland, resulting in a phase-out of most jobs in Hopkinton.
Lonza, a Swiss-based pharmaceutical company with a plant in Hopkinton, will lay off much of its local staff, according to a company statement.
About two-thirds of the 300 full-time positions in Hopkinton will be cut by the end of the year, according to Melanie Disa, a company spokeswoman.
Lonza is located at 97 South St.
A company news release issued Thursday said Lonza plans to "further optimize its global manufacturing footprint" and will consolidate future microbial biologics assets and activities into its largest plant, in Visp, Switzerland.
As a result, the plant in Hopkinton will be phased down. This will lead to an employee reduction of about two-thirds of the 300 local employees by year's end, the company explained.
"The phasedown will not affect obligations to existing Hopkinton customers," the company stated in its release.
According to a report in Reuters, Lonza has announced it is ending a joint venture with Teva Pharmaceutical Industries, by mutual agreement, in producing biosimilar drugs. The company has been evaluating that joint venture since 2009.
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