AstraZeneca to shut Bangalore R&D site; to impact 170 jobs

Pharma company AstraZeneca will shut down its Bangalore based research and development (R&D) centre, a move that will imapact nearly 170 jobs.
"AstraZeneca today announced plans to close its Avishkar research and development site in Bangalore later this year. This decision is part of AstraZeneca's broader global business strategy to simplify its research and development footprint.
"The closure of the site is expected to impact 168 full- time employees who work on pharmaceutical development and drug discovery research into neglected tropical disease, tuberculosis (TB) and malaria," it said in a release.
Employees affected by the changes will start to leave the company at the end of April and the site is expected to close later this year, it said.

"We realise this is difficult news for our research colleagues in Bangalore and our priority is to support them over the coming months. We have not taken this decision lightly...These changes reflect the company's strategic focus on investing in our core therapy areas and simplifying our R&D footprint," Sudhir Nambiar, site head and Vice President, Pharmaceutical Development, R&D Bangalore said.
The company, however, said it will maintain its commercial and manufacturing operations in India.

It said the company will focus resources on three core therapy areas --oncology, cardiovascular and metabolic diseases, and respiratory, inflammation and autoimmunity.
Further, its pharmaceutical development projects currently carried out at the site will either transfer it's Macclesfield site in the UK, or be carried out by external providers.

The company will no longer carry out early stage research into neglected tropical diseases, TB and malaria, however, would continue to provide expertise.
"AstraZeneca will continue to provide expertise to help advance existing third-party neglected tropical diseases, malaria and TB research programmes for the benefit of patients."
The company also informed that its India commercial organisation and clinical operations based at Avishkar will move to a new location in Bangalore later this year.
AstraZeneca employs more than 1,200 people in sales, marketing and manufacturing in India.