Pharmaceutical company Viatris is to wind down operations and close its manufacturing plant in Little Island in Cork, which employs around 200 people.
The closure and subsequent job losses have been reported to the Government, with the Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment confirming to the that it received a collective redundancy notification from Viatris on Wednesday, July 25.
It is anticipated that the majority of its workforce at the Little Island site will remain employed until early 2028 as the company winds down operations over the next several years.
A spokesperson for Viatris said the announcement came after a thorough assessment of the site, which concluded it was “no longer viable due to challenging market and site dynamics.”
“In particular, declining demand has resulted in underutilization of our production capacities at this particular site,” the spokesperson said.
Viatris was established in 2020 through the merger of Mylan and Upjohn, a legacy division of Pfizer, who sold off the Cork plant to the company shortly after its inception.
A representative for trade union SIPTU has said it will ask to meet the Minister of Enterprise as soon as possible, with the key priority being to save the approximately 200 jobs impacted by the closure.
“The phasing out of manufacturing operations at Little Island is not taken lightly by Viatris, and the leadership of Viatris will consider alternatives for the site outside of the company’s network, if at all possible,” the spokesperson added.
“The company will be working with the unions and any other employee representatives on a plan for the reduction of staff, including comprehensive redundancy packages.”
Viatris has a large presence in Ireland, employing more than 1,600 people. The company operates a sterile injectables manufacturing facility and R&D centre in Galway employing around 400 people.
It also has an inhaler production plant in Dublin, employing 300 staff, as well as an oral solid dosage factory in Damastown which has 200 staff. A further 300 people are employed at its corporate office in north Dublin.
In 2020, the company Viatris announced the closure of its plant in Baldoyle, resulting in the loss of 440 jobs. Following the closure, Viatris said it will still maintain a significant presence in Ireland.
Reacting to the announcement, Cork Chamber Director of Public Affairs, Cathal McSweeney said: “The job losses announced at Viatris present a challenging situation for all involved and we empathise with those affected by this unfortunate situation.”
“Cork has continued to experience significant business growth and investment in the pharma and life science sectors. The demand for skilled and talented employees remains high across the region, and we would be very optimistic that those affected will find new employment opportunities.”
Mr McSweeney said the site occupied by Viatris in Little Island has a long history in serving the pharma industry, adding that the Chamber would be confident that it offers potential for future development.