Pfizer phases out animal vaccine plant in Netherlands

Pfizer Inc. plans to phase out an animal vaccine manufacturing operation in the Netherlands in the next 18 months to two years, eliminating about 110 jobs.

The move is the second phase in the pharmaceutical giant's plan to reconfigure its worldwide manufacturing and supply organisation after acquiring rival drugmaker Wyeth; the first phase involved operations that manufacture human health-care products and medicines. The second phase involves Pfizer Animal Health operations.

Pfizer spokesman Rick Chambers said Monday (June 21) the Plant Network Strategic Review of the Animal Health network is completed, but the group will still continue to look at operations worldwide and make necessary changes.

Kalamazoo County is world headquarters for Pfizer Veterinary Medical Research and Development. It is also home to Pfizer's largest manufacturing plant.

The plant to be closed is a former Wyeth operation in Weesp, The Netherlands. It manufactures vaccines for poultry, swine, cattle and sheep. Production of those products is to be transferred to other Pfizer manufacturing facilities including Charles City, Iowa, Campinas, Brazil, and Olot, Spain.

Pfizer completed its US$68 billion acquisition of Madison, New Jersey-based Wyeth in October.

About one-quarter of the products manufactured at Pfizer's plant in Portage are in the animal-health field.

On May 20, the company announced it would close eight manufacturing operations in the next few years (going from 78 manufacturing plants worldwide to 69). The closings will reduce its 33,000-person manufacturing staff by 6,000, not counting the 110 jobs to be eliminated in the Netherlands.