Novartis site at Halewood: Boulevard Industry Park, UK. Credit: Mike Harris.

Novartis has announced plans to cut approximately 2,100 jobs in Switzerland and the UK over the next four years as part of a transformation strategy for its manufacturing network.

In Switzerland, the pharmaceutical giant is set to slash around 1,700 jobs at four manufacturing locations and its business services unit.

This includes 1,000 manufacturing locations in Basel, Schweizerhalle, Stein and Locarno, and additional 700 cuts due to shift of its business functions from Switzerland to other global sites.

Novartis noted that its new Swiss-based cell and gene therapy manufacturing facility is expected to create up to 450 jobs.

In a separate release, the company announced plans to exit its Grimsby manufacturing site in the UK by the end of 2020. This will directly affect 395 employees at the site.

The company also unveiled that additional contactors employed via third parties may be impacted.

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“This decision has been made alongside broader changes to our business globally, and as a result of the changes in our product portfolio.”

Novartis UK country president Haseeb Ahmad said: “This decision has been made alongside broader changes to our business globally, and as a result of the changes in our product portfolio which now focuses on more specialised medicines, reflective of today’s changing healthcare needs.”

The company noted that the move from Grimsby site is not associated with the decision of the upcoming Brexit. It is also considering some options such as sale to allow the factory to stay open.

Novartis’ transformation of its manufacturing network previously led to adjustments in Japan, the US and other countries.

In July this year, the company announced spin-off its eye care division Alcon into a separately traded stand-alone company. This move will transition more than 20,000 employees to autonomous Alcon.