November 27, 2009
AstraZeneca plans to outsource all active ingredients: report
by Mark Todoruk
A spokesman for AstraZeneca stated that the drugmaker intends to contract out the production of all of its active pharmaceutical ingredients (APIs) overseas as part of an effort to reduce costs, Times Online reported. The process would take place "over the next several years," remarked the spokesman, who was not identified in the report.
The outsourcing, which would relocate manufacturing mainly to China, could lead to plant closures or the sale of AstraZeneca's manufacturing facilities to another company, as well as potential job losses. However, the drugmaker's spokesman explained that no decisions have been made.
In the UK, a facility employing 300 people near Avlon that produces APIs for schizophrenia and cholesterol drugs may be sold to a third party, but no decision has been made, he reiterated. Times Online reported that the outsourcing decision would mean that AstraZeneca would halt all production or sourcing of APIs in the UK.
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