A LARGE part of Glaxo’s manufacturing plant in Barnard Castle may close following a buyout, putting 170 jobs at risk.
Glaxo said it has reached an agreement with German company Sandoz to sell its Cephalosporin antibiotics business. Manufacture of these products would move to Sandoz’s manufacturing network after a transfer period of about four years, a spokesman said.
The spokeswoman added: “At that time – currently expected to be in 2025 – and in the absence of any alternative, it would be GSK’s proposal to close its Cephalosporins manufacturing operations at Ulverston, Cumbria, and the Zinnat building in Barnard Castle. Manufacturing of other products at Barnard Castle is not impacted by this announcement.
“Today we informed colleagues at our Zinnat Supply Chain sites at Ulverston, Cumbria, and Zinnat building, in Barnard Castle, of the potential future impact to our manufacturing operations and we are offering support to them.”
Asked how many jobs could be at risk, the spokeswoman said: “We currently have around 170 employees at the Zinnat building in Barnard Castle. Today’s announcement is the start of a process that we expect to take four years – we haven’t announced any job losses today.”
However, the spokeswoman added: “In the absence of any other alternative, we expect all Zinnat supply chain employees to be at risk of redundancy.”
Glaxo held a review into its cephalosporins antibiotics business in 2017 but decided not to sell it a year later. Zinnat is used to treat illnesses such as tonsillitis and urinary tract infections.
The overall site at Harmire Road has more than 1,000 staff.
