AstraZeneca to close environmental lab and cut 71 jobs

AstraZeneca intends to close its Brixham Environmental Laboratory in Devon, UK. The 71 employees will lose their jobs in March 2014, as the laboratory’s environmental operations are not a core part of the company’s strategy to develop innovative new medicines.

The laboratory provides environmental services to a wide range of industries, including testing and risk assessment of pharmaceuticals and chemicals’ environmental impact. These services will be sourced from third parties after the closure.

AstraZeneca is in the middle of reorganising on a global scale, as the company tries to mitigate loss of revenue from patent expiries. It is moving its UK headquarters, and has committed to multiple acquisitions to bolster its drug pipeline acquisitions.