BMS closures hit 160 in Ireland

Bristol-Myers Squibb (BMS) has announced plans to shut one of its bulk pharmaceutical manufacturing plants in Ireland by the end of 2015, which will see the loss of 130 jobs at the Cruiserath, Dublin site. A further 30 jobs will be lost at the company’s Swords plant, also in County Dublin, due to the shutdown of a single operating unit. This site, which currently employs around 320 people, will continue with bulk pharmaceuticals production. A spokesperson for BMS said that the decision was made on the back of changes in demand for the products currently manufactured at the Cruiserath site.

BMS’ general manager of API operations-Ireland Susan Hynes said : “Bristol-Myers Squibb has a long history in Ireland and the company’s presence here plays an important role in the BMS global manufacturing network. The company is working with IDA Ireland to explore potential future uses of the Cruiserath facility and will endeavour to minimise job losses in Ireland”.

Opened for production in 2004, the BSM Cruiserath plant began is a multifunctional, automated bulk production pharmaceutical plant producing medicines for hypertension diabetes and HIV.