Reports suggest around 115 jobs are set to be lost through mandatory and voluntary redundancies.
Novo Nordisk, the Danish pharmaceutical giant behind the weight loss drug Ozempic, is planning to cut jobs at its Irish operations.
The news emerged yesterday (29 September) when Westmeath Independent reported that the company is cutting around 75 jobs at its Monksland, Athlone facility. According to the publication, these mandatory redundancies will come into effect in October.
These cuts are in addition to around 40 other voluntary redundancies that the company announced at the site in recent weeks, the publication added.
Overall, the Monksland site, which employs around 400, stands to lose approximately 115 employees following the mandatory and voluntary job cuts.
While the exact number of layoffs is unknown, RTÉ has confirmed that the Department of Enterprise, Tourism and Employment received a collective redundancy notification from the company earlier this month. Such notifications are only required when proposed redundancies cross 30 workers.
Novo Nordisk purchased the Monksland facility for $92.5m (€78.8m) in December 2023. Last year, the company purchased council lands worth €1.55m to further expand the site.
Earlier this month, the pharma giant announced plans to reduce 9,000 roles globally, with 5,000 cuts alone expected in Denmark. Worldwide, Novo Nordisk employs 78,400 people.
The job cuts, the company said in a statement, is expected to deliver total annualised savings of kr 8bn (€1.07bn) by 2026.
Responding to a query put forth by SiliconRepublic.com, a Novo Nordisk spokesperson said: “We have announced that the total number of intended workforce reductions globally is approximately 9,000.
“Out of respect for the employees involved, we will not share additional details about individual sites or areas. This process takes time, and our highest priority is to support our employees.
“We are announcing a company-wide transformation to simplify our organisation, improve decision-making speed, and reallocate resources towards the company’s growth opportunities in diabetes and obesity.
“As part of this change, we are assessing all business areas and regions to simplify structures, reduce duplication, and sharpen focus. These organisational changes will allow Novo Nordisk’s teams to work more efficiently and focus on what matters most – driving innovation and reaching many more patients,” the spokesperson added.
Last year, pharma giant Pfizer cut 210 jobs from facilities across Ireland. The layoffs came as part of its own multiyear cost-cutting programme, which aims to reduce $1.5bn (€1.28bn) in expenses by the end of 2027.
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