Pharmacy Daily | Pfizer Sydney shutdown

PFIZER says the closure of its Sydney manufacturing plant (PD breaking news) will have no impact whatsoever on pharmacies or the supply of medicines to its patients within Australia. The company yesterday announced the “phased exit” of the Sydney operations which will cease activity by the end of 2015. The company confirmed that its larger Perth manufacturing facility would continue to make complex aseptic products (sterile injectables) for both the domestic and international markets. About 140 people work in the Sydney operations, which produce solid oral dose products - tablets and capsules - in the human and animal health areas. Manufacturing operations director and site leader, Justin Mathie, said the move followed a review of the company’s global manufacturing network and capacity, particularly in the light of changing global demand as a result of patent expiries. “In addition, our industry is seeing a trend away from high-volume medicines to high value but lower volume medicines that target a specific patient population or disease condition,” he said. “This requires more flexible manufacturing facilities and a different overall approach to manufacturing”. The majority of staff will not be impacted until 2015, with Pfizer committing to provide at least two months notice before they depart the organisation. Spokesperson Helen Corcoran confirmed that the move has no impact on Pfizer’s commercial operations. Corcoran said the move was also unrelated to the Pfizer Direct distribution system which is “business as usual”. “We’ve just surpassed 1.1 million orders, averaging 36,000 per month, 99%+ on time delivery...so all good on that front,” she told PD.

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